Preferred Playoff Opponent *NEW POLL! (Updated 29 March)

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by doctajones428

Last 6 Stars games:

2-1 Stars
2-0 Stars
4-3 Stars
2-0 Stars
6-4 Stars
2-1 Stars

Yes, let’s give that series some votes. Good idea.

So the Flames are due, that's just statistics. Duh.

Arizona, but Colorado could be fun for hockey pools with us selecting Flames players, that seems like it would be a high scoring series

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Also, I'd point out that heading into their series last year, the Maple Leafs had won 8 of their previous 9 regular season meetings against the Bruins. Regular season head to head record is pretty meaningless.

[Psytic]

Originally Posted by doctajones428

Last 6 Stars games:

2-1 Stars
2-0 Stars
4-3 Stars
2-0 Stars
6-4 Stars
2-1 Stars

Yes, let’s give that series some votes. Good idea.

That's what I was thinking. If there is one team we don't want to see at all what so ever this post season its them.

[868904]

Colorado is a scary opponent, relative to the Coyotes or Minnesota.

They have an X factor in Mackinnion who could take control of a whole series by himself. No disrespect to Johnny or Gio, but Mackinnion is the best player in this series and Rantanen might be the second best.

If the Flames win the series, it will come down to their depth playing well and goaltending and when i say goaltending, I simply mean don't be below average. I don't see the Flames top line outplaying the Mackinnion line.

[Oling_Roachinen]

That's like being afraid of Edmonton because they have McDavid and Draisaitl. It's not nearly as bad, but the depth everywhere else kills Colorado.

[Moneyhands23]

The boys should beat Colorado in 5 games

[Itse]

Originally Posted by 868904

I don't see the Flames top line outplaying the Mackinnion line.

Huh?

They've already outplayed them twice in three games.

Calgary v Colorado, 3 games:
Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm: 2 goals, 2 goals, 1 goal.
Rantanen-MacKinnon-Landeskog, 1 goal, 1 goal, 2 goals.

We also won all three games.

Colorado has nothing over us. They can maybe match our first line with theirs, and beyond that there's no comparison.

In fact we're 8-1 in the last three seasons against them. We own them.

They're really the dream opponent: entertaining, not tough, clearly inferior.

[btimbit]

Plus, for whatever reason, the Flames always seem to play Colorado well.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by 868904

Colorado is a scary opponent, relative to the Coyotes or Minnesota.

They have an X factor in Mackinnion who could take control of a whole series by himself. No disrespect to Johnny or Gio, but Mackinnion is the best player in this series and Rantanen might be the second best.

If the Flames win the series, it will come down to their depth playing well and goaltending and when i say goaltending, I simply mean don't be below average. I don't see the Flames top line outplaying the Mackinnion line.

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

That's like being afraid of Edmonton because they have McDavid and Draisaitl. It's not nearly as bad, but the depth everywhere else kills Colorado.

To put a finer point on it, the Flames top line and Colorado's top line were essentially even through three games in the series: Calgary's top line scored five goals and 10 points; Colorado's scored four and 9. But it was really the Flames depth players and defense killed the Avalanche. Outside of the top lines Matt Calvert was the highest scoring player for Colorado with three assists; no depth player scored more than a single goal. Compare that to what Calgary did: Mikeal Backlund and Michael Frolik each scored two, and Backlund and Tkachuk each recorded four points. Mark Giordano dominated the season series with a goal and nine points in three games.

Could MacKinnon "take control of a whole series"? Perhaps, but what beats Colorado every time is superior depth, and the Flames have tonnes of it. The Flames best player in this series is quite likely not playing on the top line, and THAT is how they will win.

[bizaro86]

Colorado is a good choice as well. They'll have two choices - play their top line Connor McDavid style minutes, in which case they'll be bagged before the end of the series. Or expose their way weaker depth lines against Flames lines that are clearly superior. Either way...

Having home ice is good here as well, because Colorado is a team where line matching is a big value add.

[btimbit]

Giordano has scored 7 points against Colorado this year. In 3 games

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by 868904

Colorado is a scary opponent, relative to the Coyotes or Minnesota.

They have an X factor in Mackinnion who could take control of a whole series by himself. No disrespect to Johnny or Gio, but Mackinnion is the best player in this series and Rantanen might be the second best.

I might give you MacKinnon over Gaudreau, but it's close. However, no way is Rantanen the 2nd best player. Our potential Norris winning defenseman is better for sure, and Gaudreau is a dynamic game-breaker in the same tier as MacKinnon, so I would rank both above Rantanen, especially since he's getting a lot of his points playing with MacKinnon.

I should also mention that Rantanen has gone ice cold of late with just 2 points in his last 7 games and he didn't even get a shot on goal in his last game against Dallas. Rantanen doesn't scare me as much as playoff version of Landeskog. He looks ready for the battle and his level of play is ramping up at the moment.

I also question Grubauer's ability to carry the mail in the playoffs. He's usurped the starting job from Varlamov, just like he did to Holtby last year, but when the playoffs came, he wasn't nearly as good and they went back to Holtby who went on a run. Can Varlamov do what Holtby did last year if Grubauer suddenly resembles a backup goalie again? TBD, but I wouldn't be shocked to see some difficulties in goal for Colorado, especially considering how the Flames can put the puck in the net.

I will agree that Calgary's depth is what will win a series against the Avs, but I think you're giving them too much respect, even their top players, who are excellent. Ours are pretty excellent too.

[PeteMoss]

Basically a done deal now

Colorado 95%

One point for Dallas or loss of one point for Colorado eliminates the Dallas possibility
One point for Colorado or loss of one point for Arizona eliminates the Arizona possibility.

[Ducay]

Obvious analysis, but really comes down to who shows up. If the Flames and Smith play like they have of late, should be doable, but if Grubauer shows up in fine form, might be tricky. We're the better team, but as we've learned in the playoffs, that may not matter.

[Imported_Aussie]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Basically a done deal now

Colorado 95%

One point for Dallas or loss of one point for Colorado eliminates the Dallas possibility
One point for Colorado or loss of one point for Arizona eliminates the Arizona possibility.

Yeah essentially, Coyotes need to win out, with at least one win in regulation or overtime (not shootout) and Colorado need to lose out in regulation.
Arizona play Vegas, who may be resting players, but then Winnipeg, who may be jockeying for position still on games 82. Avs play the Jets first up, but their game 82 is a slumping and resting San Jose. I could see the Jets beating the Avs and if the Coyotes can take Vegas, that pushes this to game 82 potentially, but I can't see the Avs losing both in regulation.

[Yoho]

Grubauer is scary right now.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Yoho

Grubauer is scary right now.

Sure, but look at how he finished the year last season. He looks very much right now like he did in April 2018, and then promptly lost his starting job after two straight losses to start the playoffs.

I am not asserting that this is a trend that continues, but moreso that it is too difficult to project the quality of playoff performance on the basis of what a player is doing in March and April.

In the end it shouldn't matter. The Flames are a much better team and so long as they keep doing what they have done all year they should win this series.

[Toonage]

Grubauer has a tiny sample size against the Flames. He doesn't know them. He doesn't scare me.

And if he falters, in comes Varlamov. Who has not played well against Calgary.

But like I mentioned about Smith/Rittich in the Smith thread, career stats don't mean much. What has happened this season does. And Colorado goaltending has stunk against Calgary.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Grubauer has a tiny sample size against the Flames. He doesn't know them. He doesn't scare me...

Phillipp Grubauer has never beaten the Calgary Flames.

[Sylvanfan]

Looks like it's going to be Colorado.

At the end of the day even the 8th place playoff team is not an easy out, but there's a reason teams like Edmonton don't make the playoffs...they don't deserve to.

The Avalanche will have the lowest point total of any team in the playoffs, they are in the same time zone, and it's around 2 hours and 45 minutes to fly between the two cities. So it's similar travel to what the Flames would see going to Las Vegas, Phoenix, or San Jose. So considering that the Flames are getting an out of Division opponent this isn't too bad.

Colorado does have a dangerous top line, and Nathan MacKinnon likely is the best player on either team. But in today's NHL what playoff team doesn't have players like this? The games will all likley be pretty close, but the Flames should be able to win the series. If they don't it will be more related to how they played, than how Colorado played.