*Official Pittsburgh Penguins 2021 - 2022 NHL hockey thread!*
- Thread starter TheGLOV
- Start date
So gents, as we are hurtling toward the end of the season with my Washington Caps currently tailgating the Pens, a question: if you had your druthers, if the playoffs started tomorrow, who would you like and not like to face in the first round?
As a Pens fan, I’d suggest any team not in the NHL for a playoff opponent so they can get out of the first round!
I am hoping their slumping performances against “good” teams is a result of fine tuning things and a few injuries and not that the team peaked a month ago.
I think the Pens and Caps will struggle with the Canes and Rangers BUT I think they both have a better chance than if they fall to the wildcard spot and get the Panthers. Finishing 3rd is key for both to have any shot to advance out of the first. The Pens have owned Bobrovsky in the past but I still don't think they'd force 6 games.
I’m of the old school view that you win what you can and let the chips fall where they may, as “planning” never really works out in this area. I do think that literally any team in the east could make a cup run. Nyr (particularly shesturkin) scares me the most.
Yeah, you can't try to control it. I don't think Pittsburgh, Washington, Toronto or Boston can win the East but Montreal somehow made the SCFs last year so...
This belongs in a Glov thread - Pens just traded all their bad contracts and a protected first for the reigning Norris Trophy winning defenseman while keeping all their prospects. Are you fargin' kidding me?!?
Karlsson and Letang on the same team will be a nightmare but they dropped 4 bad contracts. Moving Poulin wasn't ideal but not horrible. Overall good deal and Dubas is doing a phenomenal job with almost no resources but they better score 5+ nightly if they want to win.
Traded Legare, kept Poulin, but agree, there is going to be some wide open hockey for the next couple of years.
