[OOT] March 28 with eight games.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Yeah it's good for the Flames that all the top seeds are slumping at the end of the season. Could also be good for the Blues and Stars who have arguably been playing the best hockey down the stretch. The Jets, Preds, and Sharks look to have very difficult first round match-ups.

Playing well down the stretch is irrelevant. There are teams who continue to play well into the playoffs, and teams who don't. In other words, there is no correlation.

The playoffs are a completely separate season. There is a significant break prior, and more importantly, some teams were having to give it their all down the stretch, and some teams weren't.

For the playoffs, teams do a full scouting focus, and a full game plan for one particular team. Re-design the defense, re-design the PP, re-design the PK, etc., specifically for that one opponent.

What happened in March has no impact on any of that.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Hughes sure looked great last night, but holy crap is he ever tiny.


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Lots of players jump onto teh scene with confidence, because they were just dominating some lower league, and they have immediate success. But then reality sets in, and other teams actually start defending them. Then things get real, and they get much harder.

Remember the buzz that Gostisbehere generated when he hit the league? Now, 5 years later, most Flyer fans recognize him for the defensive liability that he is.

Hughes is TINY for a defenseman. He has skills, but being able to be a top pairing NHL defenseman is by no means a forgone conclusion at this point. In fact, I would bet against it.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Lots of players jump onto teh scene with confidence, because they were just dominating some lower league, and they have immediate success. But then reality sets in, and other teams actually start defending them. Then things get real, and they get much harder.

Remember the buzz that Gostisbehere generated when he hit the league? Now, 5 years later, most Flyer fans recognize him for the defensive liability that he is.

Hughes is TINY for a defenseman. He has skills, but being able to be a top pairing NHL defenseman is by no means a forgone conclusion at this point. In fact, I would bet against it.

Then there's Gaudreau, who busted onto the scene and kinda just kept going.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Then there's Gaudreau, who busted onto the scene and kinda just kept going.

I didn't say all, I said lots. Also, Gaudreau didn't exactly burst onto the scene, but okay.

Also, Gaudreau was a 21 year old winger. Hughes is a 19 year old defenseman. Big, big difference.