2022 Cup Contenders

[Ben Sharp Arrow]

I know hockey is not big here though I really only follow my NY Rangers as an NHL fan I was wondering who thinks what team has the best Stanley Cup chances.
The Rangers are a year away. I guarantee that. They have a shot this year but I don't think they can get by Carolina in the playoffs. Capitals are not deep, Penguins are good but age-fragile. Florida scores a lot of goals but have looked really lost the last couple of weeks. Boston and Toronto are not ready so my guess is Colorado or Calgary. If by some miracle the Rangers make it to the finals and play Calgary they received 2 earlier beat downs from the Flames 6-1 and 6-0. Its gonna be fun.

 

[Don Wassall]

The Penguins lost last night to Colorado at home after losing to them on the road a few days ago. They similarly recently lost a home and away series to the Rangers. Both of those teams are a little faster and more disciplined than the Penguins, my favorite team by far, who are trying to squeeze one last Cup run out of their longtime Big 3 of Crosby, Malkin and Letang. Malkin and Letang are both free agents after the season and if the Penguins quickly bow out of the playoffs again (they've had three straight first round exits), they should let those two leave.

But the beauty of the playoffs is that any team is capable of getting hot and winning the Stanley Cup. It's a two month test of endurance and will unlike any other in sports, which also plays into determining the eventual winner. Colorado has the best record, but the Presidents' Trophy winner has gone on to win the Cup just 8 times in the past 35 seasons.

 

[Ben Sharp Arrow]

Nice response. I agree with teams getting hot especially a hot goaltender. The Rangers have been riding Shesterkin all year and their backup is sporadic at best. I love Cosby as a player but he gets a huge berating from most Ranger posters ( Blueshirt Banter ) for flopping and getting favorable ref calls. I was more of a fan of the Penguins in the early nineties when Lemieux and Jagr were in their heyday. Really good hockey back then.
Hockey is still fun to watch but despite all the rule trends to raise scoring ( no more two line pass and easier hooking calls etc. ) there just are not the number of greats and all around talent there used to be. You don't see the Mike Gartners or the spin a rama guy or watching a player like Lemieux undress 5 players and deke a goalie all in the same attack.
FYI if you are old school which I am not apparently Mike Bossy is in palleative care for lung cancer. Getting old sucks.

 

[Don Wassall]

Bossy was an unparalleled "boss sniper," that's sad news.

I think the offensive talent is still there in the league, but has been deliberately constrained a lot ever since the rules changes favoring defenses following the lost season of '04-'05. It's slowly coming back but yeah it was great fun watching the Oilers of the '80s and early '90s and especially the Penguins of the first half of the '90s as I'm from Pittsburgh. We've had an almost uninterrupted run of great offensive players here over the past 30+ years. But Gary Bettman got what he wanted, which often isn't what the fans would like to see, but overall the NHL is still a very good product.

 

[Ben Sharp Arrow]

Penguins - Rangers tonight. I don't care if the Rangers win as long as they get healthy with Kako Kaapo out and their 4th line center Kevin Rooney also scratched. As long as they get to the playoffs with their team intact. Whoever wins the east probably cant contend with the west.

 

[Flint]

It would be great if Toronto could make a run. It’s a shame a hockey crazy place like that has had such poor success recently.

Buffalo missed the playoffs for a record 11th straight time. Buffalo is another hockey popular place with little success. Yet Florida and Carolina have great teams?