as much as i’d like to see it happen, if bennett does one of those stealth sucker punches against one of the glitter twins, he’ll most certainly be suspended for the remainder of his life.
The amount of things that had to go just right to get the Panthers here is absurd.
A 35-year of Bobrovsky finds his game again at an elite level
One of the best waiver pickups ever in Forsling
A 12th overall pick turns into a >0.70 PPG in the playoffs by his 3rd season in Lundell
Not one, but THREE buy low trade candidates that then took their game to another level after arriving in Florida. Bennett, Reinhart, Jones.
Picking up a young, 24-year old former Cup Winner that becomes a playoff stud, because a team leaves them unqualified because of cap constraints in Verhaege.
A GM screws up and let's an elite player force his way to RFA or be traded, have that player choose the Panthers and have their former team like the Panthers offer the best in Tkachuk.
And finally their top 1 and 2 picks a decade ago actually turned into elite players, unlike dozens of others selected in the same spots, with Barkov and Ekblad.
All very fortuitous and I'm happy for the Panthers, especially if all the above is what causes McDavid to leave Edmonton without any Cups.
What this demonstrates is that, in a 32 team league with a hard cap, a LOT of things have to go right in order to win. Note how little of that is about drafting or tanking. There is no 'path' to the cup, you have to stick to the plan, manage assets well, and then hope that the hockey Gods shine on you.
Not saying they haven't earned it, they most certainly have. Just saying that you have to earn it, AND you have to be very fortunate.
Maurice actually talked about it in his post game press conference. He thinks that the game is all about the players and no the suits. The players played the game and the focus should be on them after the series is over. Not the tons of people in suits who the players don't really know and didn't compete against.
He mentioned it to Rod and Rod agreed with him. This was all coming from Maurice after the game
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I thought the way Maurice laid out his case in the presser was very insightful, and I'm 100% with him on this. Leave the handshakes to the players, and if a player wants to seek out his former coach by the benches, that's perfectly fine.
Does a player really know who the asst bench coach is...or even care?
I thought the way Maurice laid out his case in the presser was very insightful, and I'm 100% with him on this. Leave the handshakes to the players, and if a player wants to seek out his former coach by the benches, that's perfectly fine.
Does a player really know who the asst bench coach is...or even care?
I don't know about you all, but I'd be pretty upset if I was an assistant equipment manager and didn't get acknowledgement from the other team for a hard fought series. Those guys battle!
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I could watch this over and over again...which I did in this clip.
If Barkov keeps playing like this at both ends of the ice, and the Panthers win another cup, he's my vote for the Conn Smythe. It's just a shame I don't get a vote.
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I keep on seeing people bring up state taxes for why the Lightning and Panthers have been in the last six cup finals but like, those teams struggled before getting to those finals. Tampa had that embarrassing choke in 2019. The Panthers were pretty #### for a long time before getting good. The state taxes didn't help them then. I really think it's just those teams eventually putting together the right pieces to make championship teams. Bill Zito made a very bold decision trading Huby and Weegar for Tkachuk and it paid off. Hiring Maurice changed their on-ice philosophy and it worked
I keep on seeing people bring up state taxes for why the Lightning and Panthers have been in the last six cup finals but like, those teams struggled before getting to those finals. Tampa had that embarrassing choke in 2019. The Panthers were pretty #### for a long time before getting good. The state taxes didn't help them then. I really think it's just those teams eventually putting together the right pieces to make championship teams. Bill Zito made a very bold decision trading Huby and Weegar for Tkachuk and it paid off. Hiring Maurice changed their on-ice philosophy and it worked
Geography/taxes is part of the reason Tkachuk was available to them. Lots of teams would have traded for Tkachuk and the Flames would have paid him more to keep him. Tkachuk had low tax states and his home town on his trade list.
Maurice always tries to overthink situations. It's not another 50 people shaking hands. There are probably an additional 10. I happen to agree but it seems like he tries to sound like the deepest poet unnecessarily. Annoying to hear him speak.
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Maurice always tries to overthink situations. It's not another 50 people shaking hands. There are probably an additional 10. I happen to agree but it seems like he tries to sound like the deepest poet unnecessarily. Annoying to hear him speak.
yep, he made it a thing when it wasn't a thing at all...and coaches should shake hands with players anyway. Some of the most sincere moments are coaches and former players.
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I don't disagree with the point from Maurice but good gravy, read the situation.
The opposing coach, who's well respected and wears his heart on his sleeve, wants to line up his coaching staff and shake the players' hands? Let him do it.
Mansplaining it to him in that moment isn't a good look and would be extremely annoying if I'm in Rod's shoes.
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I keep on seeing people bring up state taxes for why the Lightning and Panthers have been in the last six cup finals but like, those teams struggled before getting to those finals. Tampa had that embarrassing choke in 2019. The Panthers were pretty #### for a long time before getting good. The state taxes didn't help them then. I really think it's just those teams eventually putting together the right pieces to make championship teams. Bill Zito made a very bold decision trading Huby and Weegar for Tkachuk and it paid off. Hiring Maurice changed their on-ice philosophy and it worked
No one claimed they won because of state taxes. The point is that lower state taxes provide a significant advantage to the building process.
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