Quote:
Originally Posted by sublime
call me crazy, but i see BOS winning this series 30% of the time
at least. you could probably argue they have as large as a 40% chance, maybe more. but then again, i also think that it's possible the Bruins are the worst of the four teams that the Canucks have faced this year. they're probably better than Nashville, and maybe Chicago, but not San Jose. so i think people are feeling pretty confident, but a little over-confident iyam. i've heard from too many people around here talking like we've already won the SC, and it's not making me very happy. luckily i highly doubt the players are feeling the same way, so i hope they can just stay grounded and in the moment.
incoming link dump!:
lone WCF item,
Vancouver reacting to Kesler's late tying goal, and Bieksa's OT winner. nice, that's nice.
Stanley Cup storylines - droughts, officiating, special teams, goaltending, and Manny Malhotra.
here's a lolbad stats-based article from TSN. for a fun exercise, try to spot all the egregious errors. i'll start with taking the lol sample size playoff stats, while ignoring score effects, and using them in an attempt to extrapolate predictions for the finals.
5 ways for the Canucks to beat the Bruins
NESN taking the bait and responding to a troll article from Vancouver writer Tony Gallagher, about something something Campbell conspiracy theories, lol.
Boston Pizza is now Vancouver Pizza!
Recchi retiring if Boston wins the SC
Luck is on the Canucks' side?
cool article about Cam Neely, who of course if from the Vancouver area, and was drafted by the Canucks, before flourishing after a trade to Boston.
similar story from the Bruins new power-forward from the Vancouver area, Milan Lucic. and quotes from other Boston players.
Puck Daddy breaks down which team has
the advantage at forward
Maritimers definitely cheering for Bruins over Canucks, apparently.
article about ticket prices, outdoor viewing screens, and opening GM Place for Games 3, 4, & 6 (if necessary)
sounds like
Jeremy Jacobs emerged to curse the Bruins, and just in time!
financial implications of making the Finals, for the Canucks and players. also a bit about Vigneault and Julien, both from Ottawa, former teammates, and still friends.
more stats stuff:
The NHL has detailed statistics available for the last 22 Stanley Cup winning teams, going back to the 1988 Edmonton Oilers. Comparing Vancouver and Boston's numbers to those teams, a few key differences stand out:
- The Bruins' awful power play rating of 8.2% is lower than any Cup winner in the last 22 years, with the Dallas Stars in 1999 having the worst percentage at 12.1%.
- Boston's 5-on-5 numbers, meanwhile, are some of the best ever for a playoff team. Among recent winners, only the Red Wings' Cup winning team in 2008 came close with a 1.62 goal differential.
- The Canucks' power play percentage is higher than any recent Cup winner, with those 1988 Oilers converting at a 26.5% success rate as the next closest team. The average Cup winner the past 22 years has had a 19.7% power play.
- The vast majority of Cup winners out shot their opposition or were close to even on the shot clock, with only the 1990 Oilers and 1991 Penguins out shot by more than two shots per game. (The 2008 Red Wings dominated in this category, outshooting their opposition by an average of 13 shots a game.)
- Both teams have had poor penalty kills by Cup winner standards at below 81%. The only team in the last 22 years to win the Cup with less than 82.8% was the 1991 Penguins.
- A lot of teams have won the Cup since the lockout with a low goal differential, as parity increases, but Vancouver's would hit a new low at 0.22 (a result of being beaten badly in two first round games by the Blackhawks). The 2006 Hurricanes have the lowest one in recent NHL history at 0.52.
One other number to note: The average Cup winner the past 22 years has played 22.1 games en route to winning it all, with that number increasing to an average of 23 over the past 10 years. If this year's final goes to seven games, Vancouver and Boston will match the 25 games the Hurricanes needed to win the Cup, tying the highest mark ever.
Last edited by 72off; 05-30-2011 at 01:28 PM.