They decided they wanted to play with 10 minutes left and Montreal let them. Montreal lost the game because anytime they got possession, they would dump the puck. Lost any momentum we had for the rest of the game. 0 IQ play (or maybe 500IQ play) by MSL

Well, Washington-Philly will decide a lot, Washington is win and in, Philly I believe would pass Washington off of 4th tiebreaker with a regulation win leaving the door open for Detroit, Pittsburgh and maybe Philly to get the spot

Connor McDavd hit 100 assists yesterday, congrats to him on becoming the 4rth player to hit 100 assists

I don’t think any of this takes away from achievement: each moment is the collective group competing against each other and is what it is:

But I predict we will get more big numbers from standout performers - for quite a while. Like record breaking stats. This is good! The alternative is hooking and holding. Nobody liked that path. It was awful. It took years of obstruction calls to break out of.

Expansionary time, while only at 46 new jobs, has an effect.

And the pandemic shutdown year has had an effect - players in early development missed a year, everything got nudged right a little bit, and everything took a haircut.

What we’re seeing is the cream rising to the top, while the main contents are being diluted. The cream is still the cream, undiluted. It rises higher and higher.

If the league adds another 46 new jobs over 5 years, this will accelerate. If you remember or can go see how bad hooking and holding were during the last expansionary period, you’ll maybe guess that there is quite a bit of runway for the top performers to do even more.

As a side bonus, to combat this, the league is placing a greater emphasis on safety: each acl surgery or serious concussion is further dilution, and the leagues efforts here benefit all.

It’s a good time to be a team with an elite performer and it’s a good time to be an elite performer.

Buffalo firing Don Granato and it looks like they want to find an experienced coach as the replacement.

Since I always get annoyed when people cry about 'rehashed coaches' here's a list of current coaches who were never head coaches before their current tenure:

Greg Cronin (ANA)
André Tourigny (ARZ)
Ryan Huska (CGY)
Rod Brind'Amour (CAR)
Luke Richardson (CHI)
Jared Bednar (COL)
Pascal Vincent (CBJ)
Derek Lalonde (DET)
Kris Knoblauch (EDM)
Martin St. Louis (MTL)
Andrew Brunette (NSH) - previously interim in FLA
Jon Cooper (TBL)
Sheldon Keefe (TOR)
Spencer Carbery (WSH)

Plus Interims
Jim Hiller (LAK)
Drew Bannister (STL)

That's roughly half the league who have only coached one team and a large chunk of the other half is only on their second team.

TBF, most of the 'rehashed coaches' are the same coaches constantly getting fired

All the current head coaches on their 3rd or more head coaching job:

Peter DeBoer (DAL)
Paul Maurice (FLA)
John Hynes (MIN)
Peter Laviolette (NYR)
John Tortorella (PHI)
Rick Tocchet (VAN)
Bruce Cassidy (VGK)
Jacques Martin (OTT)
Rick Bowness (WPG)

6 cup contenders, 1 who brought a 'rebuilding' team to the brink of playoffs and might get some Jack Adams consideration, and 2 that took over sinking ships mid season

They may get fired a lot but its hard to argue that they shouldn't be head coaches

Yeah, but look how many times they got fired... Then add in Bobcock, Gallant, Boudreau, Julien, etc. and you'll see why people are tired of the same coaches always getting fired/hired

I just think the narrative is over blown. All those guys have been relatively successful through most of their careers and become focal points because their last stints end poorly. There's definitely coaches that get an opportunity just because they've been around the block a few times but there's a large (or just vocal) group that frames that as the default approach of GMs or that its a significant road block to first time HCs which just isn't true

I'm saying of course it's overblown... Most of the 'rehashed coaches' are the same 8/15 coaches constantly getting hired and fired, meaning they get put in the news and fans get tired of them and associate all of them together...

Which is a shame because if there's a team that needs to be launching a bag at David Carle, it's likely Buffalo.

Just to point out how close this could become
Washington 89 points- 2 points in any fashion gets them WC2, 1 point would mean they'd need to hope Detroit loses in any fashion and Pittsburgh loses in any fashion (Washington has tiebreaker over Detroit, Pittsburgh has tiebreaker over Washington), a regulation loss would mean Philly passes them and eliminates Washington
Detroit 89 points- Detroit must get at least a point to keep their hopes alive, however, Detroit would lose tiebreaker vs Philly, Pittsburgh and Washington. So they would either need a win and a Washington loss in any fashion, OR 1 point, a Washington regulation loss and a Pittsburgh loss in any fashion
Pittsburgh 88 points- Pittsburgh has the best RW (1st tiebreaker) so a win in any fashion and Detroit + Washington loss in any fashion gets them WC2, OR 1 point and a Washington + Detroit regulation loss would get them WC2
Philadelphia 87 points- Their only shot at the playoffs is beating Washington in regulation, Detroit losing in regulation and Pittsburgh losing in regulation

Btw the Caps are a -38 (6th worst in the league) and still have the best chance of making the playoffs, shocking

Instead of words have a tree diagram, still a lot of possibilities remaining!

I’m cool with any of the teams getting in but selfishly want tomorrow to matter. Neat that there’s a couple back to backs.

Its funny how in the Metro 2 teams with a negative differential could make the playoffs (NYI already has) while one in the positives could miss

that would be sick! he is the perfect fit, a winner and is used to younger cores.

Jack Edwards is retiring. Thank god

🥳

Logan Mailloux first NHL Point!

Detroit hasn’t really looked good vs Montreal, almost lost yesterday, down 3-2 going into the 3rd

This Philly-Warrrshington game is getting kinda hectic. It's gettin' it's gettin' it's getting kinda hectic.

The 3rd should be a doozy.

Hutson for Calder, his moves are unreal

Suzuki gets away with a blatant trip, the ref doesn't blow it down when the tripped Wing is trapped under Primeau for an inordinate amount of time and Montreal comes down to score the 4-3. Welcome to the NHL.

Also, Chiarot is a plague against winning when it counts.

Yeah, Detroit should've had 20 penalties by now, Slew Footing, interference, holding.... This game isn't over because the Refs have been bias against Montreal.