kickazz

Simply put if we have good goaltending, we'll probably make the playoffs regardless of how bad the PP or defense is. I think it's safe to say that Carey Price would agree with me as well.

Datsyuk was injured and plus the games he game back at least the first 10 or so we either lost or he was ineffective. I don't think Nielsen replacement of Datsyuk was a huge changer. I know people like to think that because it's Datsyuk but he really wasn't all that effective in his last year, Maybe once he got his groove back at one point he was really helpful but I'm not sure how much different it is than having Nielsen last year. Ericsson hasn't been good for years now and while Kronwall declined, guys like Smith, Jensen, Green were additional improvements for the core which probably evened things out anyways. I know our PP was bad but if you look at the actual conversion rate and trends between 2014 to last season it was a difference of 3% (18% in 2016 vs 15% in 2017). Yet we still got into playoffs the 2016 (2015-2016) season. Which makes me wonder if there was an additional element to what allowed us to get in; that element to me was great stretch of goaltending by Mrazek. The difference between the goaltending of 2016 and 2017 was that last year, Mrazek simply couldn't get it going at all. He had decent games, but then really bad games and when the better goalie (Howard) did play, it was only like 20 some games. Whereas while both Mrazek and Howard may have faltered at the end of the 2016 season, Mrazek went thru an unsustainable stretch from December to February where he was outputting some of the best goaltending we've seen in decades. And that might have been enough to get us an advantage in the standings to allow us to get in eventually. (We backed in, thanks to the Senators). A lot of times during the games you hear Ken Daniels say things like "Early and mid season games are really important because there's a correlation to getting into playoffs" or something like that. I've never actually looked into it but if that's the case, it may explain why having a Vezina like stretch from Mrazek in 2016 was why we ended up getting into the playoffs ultimately. My point is last season our goal tending just couldn't get it going. Howard was great but barely played and of the games he played he lost almost half of them. Whereas in the previous seasons, when the goaltenders got it going. They really got it going for months at a time. Until they faltered. By which point though, we probably had enough cushion in the standings to sustain a playoff spot that was still in reach even if we were hovering between 8th, or 9th or 10th spot.

Why is anyone surprised? The reason we didn’t make the playoffs last year was because of poor goaltending. The reason we made it the year before, the year before that and even before that was because we had decent goaltending. Now that the goaltending is good again, it’s no surprise we start winning again. We’re a playoff team as long as Howard/Mrazek make stops. Newsflash: our defense has sucked since 2013. What kept on allowing us into the playoffs wasn’t Johan Franzen or Pavel Datsyuk or 32 year old Kronwall. It was having above average goaltending. Last year we had poor goaltending, the same s*** defense and the same old slightly above average offense. As long as you have 2 out of 3 things (offense, defense or goaltending) you can be a playoff team. Of course in order to actually win the Stanley Cup you need to be REALLY good at 2-3 of those things. In Pittsburgh’s case they have an elite offense, great defense and decent goaltending. Hence Stanley Cup. If Howard continues to be great and Mrazek does good, we’ll probably end up being 7th or 8th seed as per usual. Once those two start sucking we’ll be 12th seed.

Don’t forget to tell him that we fight passive-aggressive with passive-aggressive.

I hope it turns into a thing forever. Another 81 games please.

That's the norm.

NHL recognition is rare usually drool over McDavid and Crosby

Henrik Zetterberg and his angels.

This is what I meant by putting Mantha and Zetterberg back together. They just work. Plain and simple.

Correction: he does MMA:

Tatar does boxing over the summer if I'm not mistaken.

Oh sounds like the same treatment Howard got for years. Sucks doesn't it.

Would be perfect, Z was a sexy dude too.

It's the concept of flash. People think flashier means better. Carey Price would say otherwise to Jonathan Quick.

Someone needs to make a meme out of this. Zetterberg the Knight Slayer

Just a bad excuse dude. Don't be such a homer lol.

Mrazek hasn't really been playing well. Every other save he makes he keeps looking over his shoulder. Seems like he's unsure he's made saves or not. Defense hasn't helped him much at all either. Mrazek is weak, defense is even weaker. Offense is actually doing well.

Sheahan is one of the most useless players on this roster.

Lmfao.

Wowwww what a play and goal

Tatar and Nyquist talent is being wasted on this line.

Just wait till next year when he's on the final year of his contract. Things will change.

No.