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Olli Maatta is a top pairing defenseman.

albertmvpujols wrote:

AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote:This is what makes the NHL so great in my opinion. No one ever knows who is going to win it coming in. Basically, you can count the blues and the caps out, and then throw darts. Plus the series are usually competitive throughout. This year hasn't been a great example of that, but it seems like a decent chunk of them went 6 or 7 games last year.

The games have been close in the conference finals, but this is the least talented final 4 teams that I can remember due to all of the injuries. The Preds have an elite top 4 defense and a goalie playing like he did in his prime, but the forward lines are terrible with Johansen/Fiala/Fisher out. Ottawa is generally healthy, but they have a pretty lackluster lineup outside of Karlsson. The Pens offense is very talented, but that defense is soooo bad. It's a couple mid pairing guys and four bottom pairing/7th defensemen, which tends to happen when two of your better defensemen get hurt.

I think I'll be more excited if the Sens win game 7 since at least we'll see a team that hasn't won before win, but the talent on the ice for that series will be pretty bad for a SCF imo.

preds have definitely done it with defense and penalty killing, but im not sure id go so far to say their forward lines are terrible.

one thing i've noticed is that regardless of who is on the ice, this team is good at creating opportunities, its just about making the most of them.

I dont follow hockey (at least not until this playoffs), but if what you say is true, then im rooting for the pens tomorrow night.

Darryl Sydor and Steve Ott have joined Yeo's coaching staff.

MrCrowesGarden wrote:Olli Maatta is a top pairing defenseman.

Looking past the injuries he's had (not the tumor, but I think 2 or 3 surgeries) I've still never been that impressed with him. He came into the league with a lot of hype and had a great rookie season and then seemed to regress a bit. Some of that can be attributed to the cancer issue and the injuries that have plagued him since, but he's a slower guy that doesn't attribute much offensively in an offensive system with probably the best forward group in the league. Even if you use the definition of top pairing to mean top 60 NHL defensement (2 per team) I don't think he would be there for me. I think he's probably the 3rd/4th best guy on his own team when they are healthy behind Letang, Dumoulin, and Schultz (who has done a great job after being relied upon too much in what was a terrible Edmonton system)

go birds wrote:preds have definitely done it with defense and penalty killing, but im not sure id go so far to say their forward lines are terrible.

one thing i've noticed is that regardless of who is on the ice, this team is good at creating opportunities, its just about making the most of them.

I dont follow hockey (at least not until this playoffs), but if what you say is true, then im rooting for the pens tomorrow night.

I definitely didn't mean for that to come off as bad as it did. They still have some very good/great forwards, no doubt, in Forsberg, Arvidsson, and Neal, but when you are running Colton Sissons (13 goals/20 points in 109 career games), Calle Jarkrok (40/88 in 248 games), Frederick Gaudreau (only 9 career NHL games played), and Vernon Fiddler (36 year old 4th liner that was a healthy scratch more often than he played this year) in the most important forward position it is hard to not call that a bad unit. That is the worst center depth I've ever seen at that stage of the playoffs. Mike Fisher coming back will definitely help that, but it's still not a stellar forward group. However, I'm not sure I can remember a top 4 defense that was as good as Nashville's is and they get a ton off offense from their backend. As long as the top 4 and Rinne keep playing well they can definitely beat anyone.

I think you guys stand a better chance against the Sens though I think you'd be close with the Pens as well. Karlsson is ridiculous, but I think the Pens are quite a bit better everywhere but the defense and Ottawa's defense isn't much after Karlsson. The Pens are probably the fastest team in the league as well. Just my .02.

Rinne is collapsing.

MrCrowesGarden wrote:Rinne is collapsing.

Thanks Pekker, glad you decide to suck after taking out the Blues

I am thoroughly enjoying watching the Pens pwn the preds.

Barret Jackman is back as a development coach.