QOTD: Are they in? March 10th Edition

[skudr248]

Originally Posted by jg13

Do you consider Colorado last year a rebuilding team?

I would just on the fact they picked 1st overall.

Colorado was not a rebuilding team.. they tanked. Very hard, just look at their line up that year, amazing the tank that went on there the second half of the season.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by jg13

Do you consider Colorado last year a rebuilding team?

I would just on the fact they picked 1st overall.

Colorado had a decent team, they tanked hard towards the last half of the month to get a good pick. They were 41-35-6 in the 11/12 season.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I'm older and less superstition now!

Me too. They have defied the odds/conventional logic all year. Playoffs. There, I said it. Playoffs. [and not in the whiny Jim Mora voice]

It is all house money here on in. To be part of the race, win or lose, will be awesome.

[Erick Estrada]

I voted no because I didn't feel they played that well over the road trip despite coming out of it with a winning record. That combined with the fact that they seem to get absolutely no help on the OOT scoreboard most nights tells me this will go down to the wire. Really though they have been proving me wrong all year so I'm very happy letting them continue the trend.

[nik-]

I continue to doubt and they continue to prove me wrong. I will be voting no in the hopes that that trend continues.

[BigRed]

The numbers say yes, but the numbers when the season began had them as contenders in the McDavid sweepstakes, so I'm not gonna predict - just hope and pray.

[Five-hole]

I think there's an important difference between this year and 2004. This year, if we miss the playoffs, the future should only get brighter. While it will be disappointing to miss, this season is a resounding success whether we play past game 82 or not.

In 2004 we definitely did not have the talent on the horizon we do now. That, and some of our most important contributors are under 25 this year (and well under for many of them).

[Bezer]

As much as I have doubted this team at points this season and they end up proving me wrong I am still unsure. Losing Gio really hurts even if we don't see how much because we have winning. I really hope they do it but it won't be easy.

And if they do make it I suspect that they will make a really strong push to win a round or two.

Either way it has been a fantastic last couple of seasons. Even though they picked 4th, last year I always felt they were in games and the effort was always there. The same with this year, maybe they are "out talented" in games but it is very rare that they are ever " out worked". On top of all that they have young developing talent and a high end prospect (Bennett) making strides for next year.

[Cflames_12.5]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

Ducks L
Leafs W
@ Avs W
Blues OTL
Flyers W
CBJ W
Avs W
Stars W
@ Wild L
@ Preds L
@ Stars W
@ blues L
@ Oilers W
Coyotes W
Kings L
@ Jets W

98 points.

The last game vs The Jets could be for the final wild card.

[Obsidian]

Voted yes, (and hate jinx-laden stuff like this), because they are just the most stubborn team in the league and simply will not, at any point over the remaining 16 games, give up on their goal. Their willpower and great conditioning will see them through. You know you're training right when you can put up a record 24 shots on net in a third period, at the end of your season-long 7 game, 14 day road trip, to come all the way back from 4-0. The current Sharks, Kings, Wild, Jets or Canucks simply would not do that in any regular season game.

[The Fonz]

I voted no, unfortunately.
1 of these 5 teams has to drop out:

Vancouver 80
Calgary 77
Minnesota 79
Winnipeg 78
Los Angeles 75 (+1 game in hand over everyone)

Vancouver, IMO, is too far ahead to fall out. Minnesota has been scorching hot for 20 games. Los Angeles won't miss... they're just doing their usual regular season rope-a-dope.

It's down to us, or Winnipeg, for who misses. They're 1 point up... We have the benefit of playing in the weaker division... And we're both missing our best defenders. Guess it really is a toss up at this point between these 2 teams.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I voted no because I didn't feel they played that well over the road trip despite coming out of it with a winning record. That combined with the fact that they seem to get absolutely no help on the OOT scoreboard most nights tells me this will go down to the wire. Really though they have been proving me wrong all year so I'm very happy letting them continue the trend.

I am kind of in this boat too. The OOT scoreboard to me is the most concerning thing since these other teams just don't seem to lose.

They need to win 9 or 10 games. If you look at the schedule that just means it likely comes down to the last 2 games of the season.

[Loyal and True]

I voted no, only because we have a couple more mountains to climb before I can vote yes. It's gonna be very close. 7 of next 8 games at home and hopefully they can win 5 or 6 and then I'll vote yes. We need to beat the teams we "should" be beating in the next 2 weeks.

[EldrickOnIce]

I voted no.
Because corsi

[SOMBRI2]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Remember in the spring of 2004 when the word "playoffs" was banned until we clinched? We probably should do that this time around too.

Was it until the second last game or so when we clinched?

[polak]

No we clinched against Pheonix a couple weeks before.

[Rhettzky]

Our schedule from here on out looks pretty promising to me. Like our chances.

Remaining Games

Home Games: 9 - Ducks, Leafs, Blues, Flyers, Jackets, Avs, Stars, Coyotes, Kings.

Away Games: 7 - Avs, Wild, Preds, Stars, Blues, Oilers, Jets.

Against current top 3 division teams: 4

Against wildcard teams: 2

Against bottom 4 teams in each conference: 8

Against non-playoff teams: 2

Back-to-backs: 2

[heep223]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

I voted no, unfortunately.
1 of these 5 teams has to drop out:

Vancouver 80
Calgary 77
Minnesota 79
Winnipeg 78
Los Angeles 75 (+1 game in hand over everyone)

Vancouver, IMO, is too far ahead to fall out. Minnesota has been scorching hot for 20 games. Los Angeles won't miss... they're just doing their usual regular season rope-a-dope.

It's down to us, or Winnipeg, for who misses. They're 1 point up... We have the benefit of playing in the weaker division... And we're both missing our best defenders. Guess it really is a toss up at this point between these 2 teams.

Good analysis, I share all of your views except for the conclusion. I think we're better than Winnipeg in every facet and it will show at the end of the year. Also I cling to a faint hope that Vancouver will somehow #### the bed without their #1 goalie.

[Party Elephant]

Originally Posted by polak

No we clinched against Pheonix a couple weeks before.

It was the third last game of the season, and last home game.

[polak]

Hmm really? I seem to remember it being a bit before the end of the season.

I remember it pretty well though. Listening to the radio lying on my bed while my dad was in my room playing Civilization (only computer was in my room).

Memories...