[PST] Quarter Finals: Colorado Avalanche vs. Golden Knights--Las Vegas wins the series 4-2

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Sigh... Does every thread have to be a flames thread? Every single one?

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Option 2 would have potentially been doable if the Hamonic and other pick trades did not occur. The Flames really couldn’t afford a futures for rental trade thanks to the lack of assets that came from dealing picks for Hamonic, Lazar, Smith, Elliott etc.

If there was a year to make that move 2019 appeared to be it. Stone was exactly the player the Flames needed at the time (and still need). Using hindsight it was a bullet that was dodged as I do not believe Stone changes the outcome of that Avs series anyway and likely would have walked in the summer

Yup don't trade for Hamonic, and don't have the Neal/Brouwer contracts hurting your cap, and you have the draft capital/prospects and the cap space needed to go after a big piece like Stone.

Issue is Flames kept using their capital and cap space on pieces that didn't move the needle.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Sigh... Does every thread have to be a flames thread? Every single one?

By all accounts, Flames were close to getting Stone. Is it crazy to think Flames fans on a Flames forum will lament that they didn't get him after he just turned the series on its head?

I'm still bitter Oilers got McDavid... so I guess get used to it?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Yup don't trade for Hamonic, and don't have the Neal/Brouwer contracts hurting your cap, and you have the draft capital/prospects and the cap space needed to go after a big piece like Stone.

Issue is Flames kept using their capital and cap space on pieces that didn't move the needle.

The Flames had the pieces to trade for Stone. However that was way too high a price to pay for a rental. Not to mention the contract would have been higher for Calgary even if he was willing to talk, which he wasn’t.

[The Yen Man]

I really don't like the Knights, but I also really don't like the Avs. So watching one of these teams get eliminated is pretty nice.

[Mazrim]

I can't imagine any other series this year is gonna live up to this one. Just an incredible pace and action to each game. It better go 7!

[GioforPM]

Thought Colorado was pretty fortunate to win game two. Thought Vegas was pretty fortunate to win game 5, though it was overall a great road game.

[activeStick]

From what I've seen, I think Vegas is the better team, though it's close enough between the two that it could go either way. Their group as a whole is much more committed to playing defense and while Vegas has their share of guys who can beat you one-on-one like the Avs do, I've seen more discipline to not pinch when it's dangerous or cheat out of their own end unnecessarily. Last night specifically, I felt MacKinnon tried to do it all himself on a number of plays (probably a signal that he's feeling the pressure to be the guy to score) and while he's clearly a high-end guy, Makar makes me nervous the frequency that he is in deep in the opponent's end (though, the forward on with him almost always covers for him).

Looking forward, Vegas stands a better chance against Boston, Tampa or the Islanders than Colorado does in my opinion.

[Redrum]

Originally Posted by Locke

I dont get the hate for Vegas, I like the way they play and as long as they tune the Avs I've made peace with it.

If they win, it's going to bring back the old bs story about being a lowly expansion team, and now they're already back on top in only their 4th season! No mention of how they were given an embarrassment of riches, on top of a massive gift they were born with location wise.

I wonder if Stone/Piet/etc. would've extended with the expansion Jackets...

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

By all accounts, Flames were close to getting Stone. Is it crazy to think Flames fans on a Flames forum will lament that they didn't get him after he just turned the series on its head?

I'm still bitter Oilers got McDavid... so I guess get used to it?

It gets old...every player that scores it's "Told you so flames should have got him/kept him"

People were freaking out about Lomberg and his 2nd career goal FFS

Been a nightly thing since the playoffs started

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

By all accounts, Flames were close to getting Stone. Is it crazy to think Flames fans on a Flames forum will lament that they didn't get him after he just turned the series on its head?

I'm still bitter Oilers got McDavid... so I guess get used to it?

Flames were closer to getting Kadri. Then we’d have the suspended guy.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

By all accounts, Flames were close to getting Stone. Is it crazy to think Flames fans on a Flames forum will lament that they didn't get him after he just turned the series on its head?

I'm still bitter Oilers got McDavid... so I guess get used to it?

I’m still bitter Nelson Skalbania sold Gretzky to Peter Pocklington.

[CSharp]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

By all accounts, Flames were close to getting Stone. Is it crazy to think Flames fans on a Flames forum will lament that they didn't get him after he just turned the series on its head?

I'm still bitter Oilers got McDavid... so I guess get used to it?

And Draisaitl

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Redrum

If they win, it's going to bring back the old bs story about being a lowly expansion team, and now they're already back on top in only their 4th season! No mention of how they were given an embarrassment of riches, on top of a massive gift they were born with location wise.

They were given cap space, which they hadn't had the opportunity of wasting yet.

The embarrassment of riches they got was through skill, plain and simple. They saw value where others did not. They were even criticized heavily on this board for much of what they did.

[Tkachukwagon]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1403040028779974658

[Redrum]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

They were given cap space, which they hadn't had the opportunity of wasting yet.

The embarrassment of riches they got was through skill, plain and simple. They saw value where others did not. They were even criticized heavily on this board for much of what they did.

No they absolutely didn't. They were given a boatload of resources, and that's it. They didn't have to be smart about it, they just took. That's the point.

[PegCityFlamesFan]

When I remember that Vegas is exempt from the expansion draft I want them to lose!

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

They were given cap space, which they hadn't had the opportunity of wasting yet.

The embarrassment of riches they got was through skill, plain and simple. They saw value where others did not. They were even criticized heavily on this board for much of what they did.

They got the best expansion rules ever and are a top destination for players...it wasn't all skill come on now.

Pens were practically begging them to take MAF who is better than the majority of the leagues starters...including the Pens lol

[troutman]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

They were given cap space, which they hadn't had the opportunity of wasting yet.

The embarrassment of riches they got was through skill, plain and simple. They saw value where others did not. They were even criticized heavily on this board for much of what they did.

I cobbled this together earlier in the thread - they had advantages no other expansion team has enjoyed (until Seattle).


Aeneas and I are debating this - for sure, LV made some shrewd trades and picks and other GMs made big mistakes, but I would argue they had some significant advantages - they had no expansion partner to compete with for picks and trades (ex. Minny and Columbus entered at the same time). They were the first expansion team to enter when the other teams had to manage a salary cap (which could explain "bad" trades some GMs made). LV is an attractive destination for free agents.

The rules will be the same for Seattle (BTW, Vegas is exempt from getting picked by Seattle. Vegas wins again).

Of course people are jealous - they are a contender right out of the box, while long-standing franchises have struggled for decades. It is fair to wonder if the expansion rules are too generous (Seattle has #3 seed in draft lottery). Sure, they pay a large fee for entry ($500 M)- but Forbes valued the Knights at $570 M in December.

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl...cess-1.4668055

The NHL allowed its teams to protect only seven forwards, three defencemen and one goalie, or eight skaters and one goalie. By way of comparison, when the NHL last expanded in 2000, teams were allowed to protect a whopping nine forwards, five defencemen and a goalie, or seven forwards, three defencemen and two goalies.

The league also required teams to expose players with significant NHL experience who were under contract through next season, closing loopholes and helping Vegas even more. Third-line forwards and top-four defencemen were available from almost every team.

And the expansion draft terms allowed McPhee to get creative in trades with teams hoping to keep players who couldn't fit under the protection umbrella. For instance, the Knights ended up with Reilly Smith in a trade because Florida wanted them to draft Jonathan Marchessault — and the two ex-Panthers became two of the Knights' top four scorers.

[Drake]

Originally Posted by Tkachukwagon

https://twitter.com/user/status/1403040028779974658

Jared Bednar has been cleared to coach tonight.