Stanley Cup Round Robin

[swamprat]

The top 2 teams in each division play in a 4 team round robin for playoff position. 

The Eastern Conference round robin, being played at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, consists of the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, from the Atlantic Division, and the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers from the Metropolitan Division.

The Western Conference being played at Roger's Place in Edmonton, is made up of the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars, from the Central, and the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights of the Pacific.

The games begin this afternoon with Flyers/Bruins at 3 PM and Blues/Avalanche at 6:30.

[swamprat]

Flyers 4 Bruins 1 

Flyers 1-0, Capitals 0-0, Lightning 0-0, Bruins 0-1

 

 

[swamprat]

I need to point out that the regular season point percentage will be used as the only tie breaker for the round robin.

In the Eastern Conference, Boston (.714), Tampa Bay (.657), Washington (.652), Philadelphia (.645).

In the West, St. Louis (.662), Colorado (.657), Vegas (.606), Dallas (.594).

[swamprat]

Avalanche 2 Blues 1 

Nazem Kadri scores a power play goal with 0.1 second left in the game. 

Avalanche 1-0, Vegas 0-0, Stars 0-0, Blues 0-1

 

[DragonFire]

Alright Avs! Great start. 

[swamprat]

Lightning 3 Capitals 2 SO 

In the round robin, regular season overtime rules apply.

• Tampa Bay 2 points (1-0-0) (.657 PP)
• Philadelphia 2 points (1-0-0) (.645 PP)
• Washington 1 point (0-0-1)
• Boston 0 points (0-1-0)

 

[swamprat]

Golden Knights 5 Stars 3 

Dallas gives up 4 goals in the final 10:14 of the game. 

• Colorado 2 points (1-0-0) (.657 PP)
• Vegas 2 points (1-0-0) (.606 PP)
• St. Louis (0-1-0) (.662 PP)
• Dallas (0-1-0) (.594 PP)

[swamprat]

Lightning 3 Bruins 2

• Tampa Bay 4 points (2-0-0) (.657 PP)
• Philadelphia 2 points (1-0-0) (.645 PP)
• Washington 1 point (0-0-1)
• Boston 0 points (0-2-0)

[swamprat]

Avalanche 4 Stars 0

• Colorado 4 points (2-0-0) (.657 PP)
• Vegas 2 points (1-0-0) (.606 PP)
• St. Louis 0 points(0-1-0) (.662 PP)
• Dallas 0 points(0-2-0) (.594 PP)

[gchs_uk9]

I don't like how the four teams in the round robin started equally. Boston should have had some reward for having the best record going forward. To me, the best plan would have been to have all four teams play each other, add those wins/points to their existing records, then seed 1-4 based on that. Boston has been the best team all year, accumulated their most points since the 1970s, and will have a much tougher first round opponent (provided seeds hold) just because they lost two games in the restart.

[swamprat]

Boston went to the finals as a 3 seed in the east last season and the team that beat them, St. Louis, was the 5 seed in the west. Pittsburgh won back to back titles as 3 seeds in 2016 and 2017. 

Having the best regular season record in the league (winning the Presidents Trophy) and getting the "easiest" 1st round opponent does not insure success in the playoffs. Of the 33 President Trophy winners only 11 have made the Stanley Cup Finals and only 8 of those have won the Stanley Cup, the last being Chicago in 2012/13. 

Also, this last game with Tampa Bay was Tuukka Rask's first for Boston since the stoppage. The Bruins are a different team without him.

Boston is probably better off where they are. Brad Marshand will have plenty games in which to get his licks in. 😀

[gchs_uk9]

Absolutely, I don't question how it will turn out. That's no big deal. I just felt like the NHL told the four best teams nothing they had done prior to the shutdown really matter at all, which didn't seem fair in my opinion.

[swamprat]

Flyers 3 Capitals 1 

Philadelphia looks overpowering. 

• Tampa Bay 4 points (2-0-0) (.657 PP)
• Philadelphia 4 points (2-0-0) (.645 PP)
• Washington 1 point (0-1-1) (.652)
• Boston 0 points (0-2-0) (.714)

Everything comes down to Saturday and Sunday.

The winner of the Tampa Bay/Philly game on Saturday wins the #1 seed and home ice through the conference finals. The loser is the 2 seed.

The winner of the Boston/Washington game, Sunday, gets the 3 seed. Even if the Caps earn a point by forcing OT, Boston has the tie breaker. 

[swamprat]

Golden Knights 6 Blues 4

• Colorado 4 points (2-0-0) (.657 PP)
• Vegas 4 points (2-0-0) (.606 PP)
• St. Louis 0 points(0-2-0) (.662 PP)
• Dallas 0 points(0-2-0) (.594 PP)

Pretty much the same situation as the East. The Avs and Knights meet on Saturday to determine the 1 and 2 seeds and the Blues and Stars meet on Sunday for the to determine the 3 and 4 seeds.

 

[swamprat]

Golden Knights 4 Avalanche 3 OT

• Vegas 6 points (4-0-0) (.606 PP)
• Colorado 4 points (2-1-0) (.657 PP)
• St. Louis 0 points(0-2-0) (.662 PP)
• Dallas 0 points(0-2-0) (.594 PP)

Vegas is the #1 seed in the West.