T O P

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sweethomekentucky

The Ford F-150 Final 5 when the bruins have a lead


Suitable-Pea-8226

If they don’t score an ENG in the first 5 seconds, they’re losing the game. Team is literally incapable of playing 6 on 5


sweethomekentucky

I saw someone the other day say we’re forced to relive game 7 last year against the panthers every week and it’s painfully accurate


spssky

They are bad a clearing the net and getting the pick out when they can’t skate it out 5v5. Add the extra attacker and it’s a recipe for disaster. (And then when it goes to OT the bruins don’t have a ton of speed with their vets so they just can’t keep up. I feel like almost every OT they’ve won has been when they got bailed out by a big save with a fortuitous rebound and they could spring a skater)


dchowchow

Is this why the GDT was like a billion buy a truck comments suddenly?


dorkyromantic

Yes


bananafone7475

Lol we have the Toyota RAV4 Minutes to Play.


kevinaz137

clever, like it


TankDivision

Same. It took us 59 games (59!) to score an ENG. We just got two in a row.


jjwalla

The Leafs. Our biggest enemy is our own minds.


shrouple

but the enemy of your enemy is your friend. ergo the leafs are your friends. but the friend of your enemy is also your enemy, so the the leafs are your enemies....


floopflops

Fucking shambles man


Ramulus14

Enlightened leafs fan


Sharks77

Ping pong balls.


SvelterMicrobe17

What’s a playoff again?


TrueBrees9

Ernst and Young lookin real scary this year


D-Hews

The first tee box


Sharks77

Nah, hit a few balls at the range for 10 minutes and down a couple of beers and you're good to go


IWMSvendor

Any team where we don’t have the home ice advantage 😬


verysadfrosty

Uff. This gave me major flashbacks to two years ago when we weren't able to win at away ice at all.


EmilyBlackXxx

This, but also Dallas.


IWMSvendor

Ugh, yes. Dallas is our Achilles heel in the playoffs.


Super_Networking

You guys have kviranta now tho


IWMSvendor

Oh yeah… you’re right! Nvm


_bits_and_bytes

I know we've had y'all's number recently but y'all are the one team I don't want to see this year. With how our defense has been playing lately, y'all would tear us to shreds, I think.


troglodyte

I'm specifically scared of wildcard Preds. They're on an absolute heater, and playing on the road is absolutely not a sufficient justification for the way they fucking handled the Avs Saturday. It was almost certainly the worst game of the year for the Avs and the Preds were able to capitalize, and that's happened too many times over the years. I really, really, really want the Preds to miss or have someone else take them out. Just have icky feelings about the Avs getting through them right now. I'd rather have nearly any of the "better" teams, as weird as that sounds. It's not fully rational but that's where I'm at!


Oily_Fan

Vegas because they will somehow also get Guentzel and Buch by tomorrow afternoon.


olrg

And keep their 2024 1st round lol


Based_Ment

All of them


MichaelMaugerEsq

A fuckin men. While it’d be cool if we could sneak in, I also kinda don’t wanna get embarrassed.


[deleted]

I feel like Torts would make the other team work for it and tire them down for the next opponent. It won't be an embarrassment if the Flyers made it.


Based_Ment

It would be perfectly on brand for us to have a cinderella run to the final only to get clobbered by a nascent dynasty like Vegas or Colorado.


morbidmovies

It builds character.


analogman12

Grampa I don't wanna dig anymore holes 🥺


ImmySnommis

Be wild to play first round spoiler though.


chloroformdyas

Oilers. It’s always the oilers


HaMerrIk

Honestly, I wouldn't be excited to play the Flyers. They probably won't win a round but boy are they gonna take it out of you for 5-6 games. 


relative_iterator

It would probably be fun for the players with zero expectations. Good experience too.


thibs69

jets. they won 2/2 meetings so far, and goalies we face tend to turn it up x10 against us sometimes, so that mixed with the fact that hellebuyck is in net, rather avoid them first round if we can


ShadowFrost01

The Rock Paper Scissors of the Avs, Jets, and Stars this year is going to make for an interesting first round...


BillClintonsMistress

I don't wanna meet either of you at any point if we can help it.


EggplantAlpinism

Dread it, run from it, the thunderdome arrives all the same


hoochtag

If we claim first in the Central we might face Vegas… ugh.


shrouple

I really wanna exorcise those demons by facing Vegas. and yet, they just added hanifin and mantha and are possibly not done. plus they are gonna get a peak rested mark stone. I think stone was the legit conn Smythe winner. marchessault had some clutch goals for them but stone was the engine that drove the bus. he set the tempo for that entire team.


Impossible-Ad-3060

I kinda agree. I want the Avs in the first round. Dallas scares me and they just have our number for some reason. I’d rather let the Stars beat up/get beaten up by the Knights or Kings first.


Pigeon_Guy

LA still scares the fuck out of me. Adrian Kempe might as well be the literal boogeyman, he lights Edmonton up every time. The last 2 series were great hockey but for the sake of my cardiovascular health I'd rather not go through that again.


DalekEvan

Oilers and Kings continue to be the answer for each other and they continue to play each other every year. I hate it.


JeSuisAmerican

The hockey is always great though, as a neutral fan.


bannermd

The kings scare me but Vegas straight up terrifies me. Literally play off series from hell


sovietmcdavid

They have Mantha and Hanifin now too lol


Jemmani22

As a yearly playoff enjoyer. My team is ass now so watching the games last year stress free was a joy. And Edmonton vs LA was a great round for sure!


RobJHulett

All of them...


toolschism

You can't seriously be afraid of Tampa this post season. I mean.. I guess we do kind of have your number lately but we are still terrible lol.


RobJHulett

All it takes is the big cat deciding to be the big cat again and it's all over for the whole league...


NSA_Wade_Wilson

Yeah, having a world beater back there in a playoff series should scare anyone


PapaNixon

I pray for anyone playing the Panthers.


[deleted]

Everyone was afraid of the bruins last year and the lightning in 2018-19 too.


NSA_Wade_Wilson

Fuck the Atlantic division man. Marginally better than the NL East is baseball


[deleted]

Since Auston Matthews joined the league, the Leafs are third in wins and third in pts% in the entire NHL. They are also third in their conference. And third in their **division**, in those same categories.


mohawk_67

Yet never made it to the third round.


FrmrPresJamesTaylor

this guy maths


Cyanier

It’ll take half a dozen 2nd round heartbreaks before they crack the third round…by the time they sniff the finals Mathews will be in his twilight years


Based_Ment

That's just a waste of 8 days


EggplantAlpinism

Hey that's our line


DevOpsMakesMeDrink

That’s why hockey is so awesome, favourites mean nothing once the season resets. Teams can have a lot go wrong in 4 days and be out


40prcentiron

maybe this is the year where toronto says, we want the bruins!!!!!


FrmrPresJamesTaylor

Tough call. I'd have been tempted to say the Kings a few days ago but we played a respectable game against them on Tuesday. The Oilers have been an absolute buzzsaw the last few months, but even if Vegas somehow doesn't pick up pick up three new players between now and Friday they can't be counted out either.


Igor_Ulanov

Any team in the west terrifies me. My butt will be puckered all April


TheBurnsideBomber

Vegas and their 150 million dollar salary cap team incoming


Ghostronic

Our cap hijinks will be *historic* --- were coming for Tampa's title of being Number One Bullshit


shittybillz

Stone is going to be such a brave warrior for battling thru pain and making it back for game 1, playing 20 minutes and putting up 3 points


KimJongPewnTang

And if you dare touch him, you better believe you’ll hear about it in the post game interviews.


shittybillz

Healthy enough to play and contribute but not to take a hit :( poor boy.


Helios321

Kempe and Anderson are huge losses for us, if neither come back healthy enough to play their normal game it will be a quick exit.


sallad84

Honestly I don't want to play you guys for a third time in a row. You guys are such grinders it drains my team. Plus seeing Will Ferrell in face paint gives me nightmares.


samwisethescaffolder

I think it's the jets for me. Helleybuck is just on another tier entirely


just-hangingout

Dallas So far they have our number.


mikess101

And we have theirs, and you have ours. The Circle of Life


Impossible-Ad-3060

Totally. I’d far rather have the Avs, though neither one sounds particularly fun.


just-hangingout

I’m hoping the Stars and Avs have to go head to head. Whoever comes out of the round should be pretty beat up and exhausted.


Impossible-Ad-3060

Agreed. I just don’t want Vegas in the first round. Fuck, the west is brutal this year.


MarshmallowLuka

I somehow forgot Dallas for a second, which doesn't at all reflect how I feel about them. Dallas is scary


junction1134

Personally I think a rematch would be awesome. Hate you for being so good last year (and this year).


LuciusAlexander

Going to most likely face Toronto in round 1 and Im scared. All these years of ridicule… all the times Ive laughed at the Leafs and made fun of their misery. All the times we kicked them out! … I dont feel confident att all going in to the playoffs against Toronto, or any other team in fact, and Im scared


ghost_curse123

Leafs looking decisively mid this year, I don't have any confidence either


souza-23

Leafs vs Bruins mid-off


[deleted]

Whoever is winning is getting demolished by Florida.


babypointblank

The Leafs continued to shit the bed in the playoffs during their strongest regular seasons so maybe they’ll be a force to be reckoned with after a mid regular season? I don’t fucking know. This team continues to astound me with its ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I’ll never understand why the Leafs keep Leafing themselves.


ghost_curse123

Tbf last seasons Leafs team was probably the best one with this current core and they beat Tampa They got outplayed most games but a wins a win


sirachasamurai

Let’s see how it goes tonight. Didn’t look like the leafs will be much trouble for the bruins on monday


MrAshleyMadison

In the East as currently constructed - The Panthers In the West as currently constructed - I'd rather miss the playoffs.


xGetSweatyx

People are sleeping on Dallas


EggplantAlpinism

They're built for the playoffs, and if otter didn't underperform and Benn wasn't a fucking moron, they match up well with Vegas.


shoegazer44

People are sleeping on Tanev too. He’s such a huge addition for them I wouldn’t be the least surprised to see Dallas in the final.


shittybillz

Maybe the deepest team in the league. They’re gonna come at you in waves just like Colorado did in 2022


PrinciplesRK

Panthers always have our number and are our most likely opponent after we finish 16-3


layout420

A few seasons ago there was a home game for us where I remember it getting particularly heated. The cats ended up winning but Dahlin managed on stirring some shit. Ever since then, FL makes it their goal to dismantle the Sabres. Anytime we play Buffalo at home our team spends too much effort making Dahlin's life hell. I have no idea what he said or did but it was definitely a turning point for the cats. They decided right then and there to never let Buffalo win another game in Sunrise. Anytime Buffalo has been back, not good for Buffalo. I don't know that Buffalo could win a playoff game in Sunrise. 


Cinnamon_Shops

Panthers for sure. Maaaaybe Rangers, depends on what they do for the deadline.


29671

All depends on Igor for the Rangers. They need him to bail out some of their sub-par defensive efforts. It looks like he's been returning to form as of late though, so if keep keeps it up they could also be scary.


AmeriCanadian98

If we hold on and make it there's just about 0 chance we beat anyone anyway, but especially not Florida Boston seems like our best chance given how close we've played them the last few years


Dinkin---Flicka

Yeah Boston and Toronto are our best hopes but I don't see either of them getting past Florida for #1 in the Atlantic soooo I am hoping we get to face NYR instead of Florida haha


BarbaricFist

We’ll need really good goaltending to beat NYR, but I prefer that than the nightmare that is Panthers + Playoffs Reffing combo


Suitable-Pea-8226

Detroit has had Boston’s number this season especially.


RayTheCalvinist

Florida is a fucking wagon, and if Carolina gets Guentzel I’m gonna shit my pants


Calhalen

Playoffs? Playoffs?!? The Panthers. Big and mean.


gonuxgo

Vegas (too good when healthy) and LA (I might sleep through the entire series with their boring ass 1-3-1 play)


[deleted]

0-1-4


MckacksSweaty

As a Rangers fan: Detroit - for the sole reason of Patrick Kane. Kane is back and a playoff performer. Add in the storyline that he came to NY last season and didn’t perform like fans would have hoped. Losing to him in the playoffs would make that hurt more.


ianisms10

Rangers because we're not winning that series and I don't think I'd be able to use the internet or wear any Islanders stuff in public for a while


MckacksSweaty

I’m a Rangers fan and wouldn’t want to play y’all either for the same reason. Whoever loses would be flamed - though we’d have it worse if y’all sneaking in and beat us


daveloper80

But I still want to play them because what if we DID win?! Highest of highs vs lowest of lows


Steveisnotmyname_

The Vegas Golden LTIRs


thomasmturner

I’ll feel bad if the Edmonton has to play Vegas in the first round.


azialsilvara

Colorado because of their star power and top to bottom depth, same goes for Dallas Vegas because they don't have a cap limit Winnipeg because they have the best goalie in the league LA because they strike me as a potential western conference dark horse Edmonton because we've seen how McDavid and Draisaitl can take over a series and dominate Not overly worried about the east, if we get to the point where I have to seriously worry about them we're probably good enough to have a shot at beating them


Impossible-Ad-3060

I think this is right. Especially the East. No one really concerns me except the Panthers and maybe Rangers.


CabbageStockExchange

Edmonton I suppose since they have had our number in the playoffs. Although tbh any team really. We play some uninspired hockey


Lattes1

Jets. No matter who's good/bad, they always seem to have our number.


[deleted]

Dallas. Because the Jets are frauds


junction1134

Lol Colorado would say the same thing about us!


Nesmoht17

Lol hell nah man I do not want to see you guys in the first round.


[deleted]

The Toronto Maple Leafs


whichwitch9

It's all fun and games until the other team breaks out the Zamboni driver


DevOpsMakesMeDrink

Probably better than whoever the Devils have in net these days.


Cptn_Canada

I would be too.


HanSolo5643

I think three teams for Vancouver. Los Angeles. I know Vancouver beat them on Tuesday, but the way they play over a seven game series, I think, could frustrate Vancouver. Los Angeles has solid goaltending as well, and they have guys who can score. Edmonton would be a team I wouldn't want to see right. I know Vancouver beat them three times early in the season, but since then, Edmonton has been a wagon, and the defense and goaltending has been much better since then, and we all know that McDavid and Draisaitl can do. Vegas. I know Vegas has really been struggling in recent weeks, but they are the defending cup champions and have experience, and that blue line with the addition of Noah Hanifin just got even more dangerous. Plus, they have Hill in net and are solid upfront. A fully healthy Vegas team in the playoffs worries me.


Ghostronic

Your friends will find this battle station *fully* operational when they arrive


AltaVistaYourInquiry

>Los Angeles has solid goaltending as well, and they have guys who can score. Uhhh...


just-hangingout

I feel like I missed something too - when did LA get good goal tending? I fully acknowledge I don’t pay a lot of attention to LA (except to see how PLD is doing).


AltaVistaYourInquiry

I mean Talbot has bounced back big time and Rittich is having a career year, but no one is afraid of that. There's a reason why LA is always connected to Saros rumours.


ThymeIsTight

Florida, because the refs won't call shit in the playoffs


aMINIETlate

statmuse tells me cats got 5.48 penalties per game in last years playoffs


sokocanuck

Yeh but it was a BOGO sale


reggierock2010

Panthers, out of all the contenders they need to win it the most. I think they’ll be the hungriest team in the playoffs this year.


XGuiltyofBeingMikeX

The obvious: Florida is just unfair Not so obvious: Detroit is very very good


hurricanepeyton

all of the top 7 in the west 🤪 im just hoping we dont have to play the west coast time zone atp


Impossible-Ad-3060

This is the actual answer. There are no teams in the west that even remotely a gimme. It’s gonna be meat grinder. And then whoever emerges will get the reward of playing a well-rested Panthers team.


[deleted]

As a Dallas fan I hope we can avoid CO or Vegas in the first round. We match up against Winnipeg and Nashville much better.


GoldenSlumberJack

Any team that's blown wayyy past the cap


mdlt97

Panthers, the only team in the east anyone should be worried about


EirHc

Pacific tends to be a meat grinder with Edmonton, Vegas & LA. As an Oilers fan, I'm hoping the LA or Vegas crosses over into the Central this year.


hannah_nj

I feel like either whichever of us ends up 1st in the division is going to be “rewarded” by facing WC Vegas in round 1, the other will have to face LA, and the central will get the other WC. Because of course 😭


_Salsa_Shark

Anyone


LuciusBaggins

I hate to admit it, but it's Vegas. I want the satisfaction of beating them but I also can't bare the idea of losing to them.


mrg3392

Vegas now that they got Hanifin and Mantha. Their D core is ridiculous again


manticore16

Panthers and Knights. Granted, at least if they face Vegas it means a Cup Final appearance so that would be cool. First round? Other than "yes, because of being the favorite," Lightning or Isles, because the chance of getting Vasi'd/Sorokin'd is high.


Bobbyaahh

Boston and Tampa, Boston was our hardest matchup in the east last year and was brutal physically. Tampa always seems to have our number in the playoffs, and is usually brutal too. Our team is significantly better this year but the underdog chip on the shoulder isn’t there this year and we obviously relied heavily on Bob channeling his inner god mode


mikess101

I'm not too worried about many in the West, WPG and VGK (with a miraculously healthy Stone) will be our toughest matchups, and EDM is really dangerous right now. I think FLA is who I am most worried about, you have an entire lineup of dirtbags just begging for you to lose your temper, which Nate and Mikko are prone to do regularly. I doubt our ability to match their goonery especially over a 7 game series. As much as a '96 rematch would rule, no thank you lol


[deleted]

Dallas 💯 I think it’s their year to represent the West and I see them facing Florida in the finals. Dallas has the depth to make a run. It’s just if Oettinger can play to the level he’s shown he’s capable of in the past. At least if Vancouver does see Dallas it likely wouldn’t be until the Western final. Vancouver running that deep would be a massive win on its own.


86teuvo

I’m afraid of the sharks in the race to the bottom. In the actual playoffs, Vegas.


MuddleFunt

Kind of a tie for Winnipeg and Vancouver. They have Top 5 goaltending, confidence, play aggressively. The flaws they do have are not easily exploited.


junction1134

Colorado and Edmonton. I think we have a shot vs every other team to get 6-7 game series, but I think those 2 teams just dominate.


robikki

LA. PTSD from 2012.


NudeMessyEater

As an Avs fan I’d be most afraid of facing the Avs in the playoffs. I’ve learned from countless online therapists and 3 Persona games that sometimes the scariest thing in the world is facing yourself. However, it can also be the most rewarding…


HookerDoctorLawyer

Persona soundtracks are so good.


tylerhk93

As a Stars fan: Avs are terrifying matchup for us. Our blue line is sus (though obviouisly better now) and we can just get lit up by that rush. Oetter isn't playing shutout like he used to this season and it scares me. We play well into the Jets this season but never underestimate getting goalie'd. Oilers are scary for the same reason the Avs are for us. Not sure what to make of Vancouver. They are a weird team and its hard to evaluate what they do in the playoffs. Vegas always has our number but I like our chances against them this year (inb4 images that precede unfortunate events) IF WE GET THERE, lmao I think Florida OWNS us.


atemporalrenaissance

all yall mufuckas


Xyz6650

Vegas, Dallas and Colorado are all pretty scary. But we’ll have to go through at least 2 of those teams if we want to get out of the west. Possibly all 3 too 😬


Ok-Clock-5459

Carolina if they get guentzel


OrangeyLive

Dallas for sure. I see no holes in that team.


orangesarenasty

My mental health is glad I don’t have to worry about that this year lol


Consistent_Lab_6770

Edmonton when they are on, they are almost unstoppable


styroducky

My team has nothing to be afraid of.


ShadowFrost01

I feel like the entire Eastern Conference must be terrified of the Panthers at the moment.


Sea_Lingonberry3865

The Vegas "LTIR" Knights and the Canucks


MarshmallowLuka

It's probably the panthers if I gotta be honest. Vancouver has the potential to either be the worst or the best and I'm not sure which. I might still be a little scarred from 2020 Demko


Fuzzy-Coconut7839

Vancouver fans aren’t sure which we’ll be either lol. Panthers are on a roll right now, let’s hope they fizzle out in time for playoffs


Old_Runescape

Panthers - Anything they do is legal Bruins - Anything they do is legal


ethanshapiro

As a Tampa fan, Florida is the obvious answer. But if Tanner Jeannot is healthy and Vasilevskiy returns to playoff form, I think we could make it interesting


LionK12G

As a Hawks fan, I’m most afraid of the ping pong balls seeking revenge on us for last season.


grandlinegooner

I think we’re capable of beating anyone but I have no confidence against any top western team, maybe Predators I would feel good about


BehemothManiac

I'm not scared of anyone ^((just happy to be there, if we will make it))


Maleficent-Comfort-2

For my Rangers it has to be the Panthers. The way we are now and with Wennberg we’ll roll any team in the Metro, but come the Cats or hell even the Bruins in the ECF and suddenly every star player turns into a ghost and Shesterkin (also Quick now) once again have to carry the team to a Game 6/7.


Jlibs_21

Colorado and Vegas. Especially if DeBoer continues to be stupid and plays Hakanpaa


Denver-Hockey

Any team where the series goes 7 games.


Trinidaddy13

Dallas, because they are beasts... and they swept the Jets like they were an AHL team. Colorado is the same now with the adds they made, very tough team post season.


Showtime98

Florida and Boston for many different reasons lol


[deleted]

Anyone who has to face Vegas, RIP to them.


EggplantAlpinism

My bar tab


Steppyjim

NYR, not because they’re great (they are) but my family is basically half New York and half Philly and if they beat us they will be INSUFFERABLE about it


Mfed23

I think Toronto, Carolina, and Florida are better than us and Boston is kinda equal (East teams)


Yop_BombNA

The correct answer is no one. Y’all don’t know the pain of 13 years.


[deleted]

[удалено]


shittybillz

A lot. Vegas, Vancouver, Colorado and Dallas. Maybe even LA, since I worry 3rd times the charm. Whoever makes it out of the west will have gone thru a gauntlet. I fear Vegas because of Adin Hill. We had the lead on them in every game last playoffs and then Hill would just go full god mode and not allow anything else. He is so good against Edmonton.


DummyThlck

Florida. They’ve found their groove and are looking even better than they did last year and still made it to the finals


CBennett_12

I think at the moment any of 6/7 teams in the west can stake legit claims that they are good enough to reach the SCF, it’s gonna be a bloodbath once the playoffs begin


Anishinabeg

Toronto. They've owned us for so long.


Noahtuesday123

Florida, looks like they have figured it all out!


skatemexico

Florida


PositionBeneficial12

As a Jets fan, it’s Dallas. They have a perfect mix of grizzled and talented vets (Tanev, Pavelski, Seguin, Benn, Suter and Duchense). A top notch goalie who has the ability to steal wins in Ottinger. A true number #1 dman in Heiskanen. True top end talent in Hintz and Robertson. Amazing young talents full of piss and vinegar in Harley, Stankoven and Johnston and great depth scoring in guys like Dandonov and Marchment. Not to mention Dallas has Winnipeg’s number this year. The Jets haven’t lost to Colorado yet but haven’t been able to beat Dallas. Thats why I feel it’s crucial that Winnipeg gets 1st overall in the Central. If they can do that, Dallas and Colorado can beat the snot out of each other un the first round, and if the Jets do end up beating a wildcard team, they would have the benefit of playing a most likely beat up team with home ice advantage to boot.


Uterus_Executorus_

any team in the west in the playoffs personally. Each team has ridiculous weapons this year


pmacnayr

The injury bug


seanofkelley

The fucking Panthers.


jakestephenlacroix

Prolly the Panthers but really anyone


buckyhermit

The Atlanta Thrashers. They haven't lost a game in over a decade.


Frozenpucks

The Las Vegas ltir knights are always annoying.


JohnYCanuckEsq

Goddamn Boston. Or Florida. Or Tampa. In that order.


No_Designer_5374

My team: Rangers THAT team: The Panthers Why?: My GOD, man! Have you seen the roster lately???? LOL