We have a tied series after the opening four games, the Mike Babcock Oilers situation is somehow real, Jordan Staal is making Finals history, and the NHL handed us more drama this week than any sport deserves. Let’s get into it.. We had incredible drama once again take place in game 4. Carolina shot out to an early 2-0 lead and at no point did I anticipate a blowout, and my instincts were correct. Vegas eventually tied the game up at 3 a side and then they spent a large portion of the third period controlling the play. Unfortunately for Knights fans Brandon Bussi stood tall in his first ever playoff start which led to Carolina scoring the game winner late in the third, and an insurance goal off an incredibly weird bounce. I don’t know if any finals game will ever match the insanity of game 3 of this series, but game 4 was compelling, nonetheless.
I truly think the Conn Smythe comes down to who wins the series. If it’s Vegas, it’s going to be Mitch Marner. If it’s Carolina, at least at this point, I feel like it has to go to Jordan Staal. Staal only has 11 points in the playoffs, but what he has done in these finals is absolutely deserving of the Conn Smythe. At 37 years of age, he has become the only player to score in four straight games during the finals and the oldest to score 4+ goals in the finals. Last night Jordan scored twice, including the game winner.
What an incredible effort by the big man. Also, what an insane overcommitment by the Vegas defenders. Jarvis got lost, missed a short breakaway, and everyone on Vegas collectively lost their minds. Nearly every Vegas player went into the corner to attack Jarvis like piranha’s leaving Staal all alone at a spot he watched Crosby scored plenty of goals from. The puck didn’t come to him clean, and it required quite the unorthodox effort to get the puck to cross the line, but they never write on the scoresheet how you scored.
Staal has also continued his presence as an elite shutdown defensive forward, and he’s the captain. I think it’s becoming abundantly obvious that he should be the Hurricane who deserves to hoist the Conn Smythe. What a great series by Staalsy so far, hopefully he can continue this magic run.
The other guy who would get my vote for Conn Smythe, Marner, had a predictably quiet night. It’s tough to follow up a four-point explosion. Yet, Marner still made a phenomenal play that led to Vegas getting within one less than five minutes into the third period. It’s a good sign for Vegas that Marner is finding his way onto the scoresheet even during games where he doesn’t have all the juice.
I find it hard to believe that this series is going to end in six games. Nothing about the way these games have went suggest otherwise. I think 2-2 is the perfect series score because these teams are seemingly so evenly matched. Maybe Vegas has had a slight advantage in the play, and I agree with that notion, but that margin is incredibly small. Carolina has been able to limit Vegas offensively, like they do to everyone, but Vegas’ star power always allows them to find great chances. Carolina needs to work a lot harder for their goals and that may ultimately be their downfall should they lose. Anyone who suggested this would be a boring series, and I was one of them, has been proven dead wrong. Sign me up for seven games of a finals like this every single year please.
One thing hurting these finals is the fact that there is almost more buzz by what’s going on off the ice. We had reports that Matthew Knies was traded to the Montreal Canadiens at the deadline, but the trade was submitted less than one minute too late. Toronto fans should be thanking their lucky stars that the trade did not occur because that would have been a colossal mistake. We also had Dylan Larkin request a trade and submit his list of three(!) teams where he would accept a trade. Those teams are Minnesota, Vegas, and Florida. Potentially the three worst options that could have been provided to Detroit. None of those teams are deep with assets to trade, and the one that has an enticing piece (Flordia’s 9th overall pick) is a divisional opponent. Before the list was submitted, Detroit fans largely seemed to understand where Larkin was coming from, but now the public perception has completely shifted.
First, I will defend Larkin a little bit. He is requesting a trade because he feels like Detroit management hasn’t done enough to help him, and the team, win games. Well, if you want to go somewhere where the management team will do anything to win you will likely want to go to Vegas, Minnesota, or Florida. Vegas and Florida’s track record speaks for itself. As for Minnesota, they stepped up to the plate this year to acquire Quinn Hughes and at the same time Detroit GM Steve Yzerman balked at the price. So, from a hockey standpoint he is rightfully prioritizing winners which is his right. Now, you do have the tax advantages in two of those destinations, which I am sure is a factor, but I believe the bigger factor is clear ties to fellow gold medalists reside within each of requested destinations.
I do understand Larkin’s list and for many reasons it’s a sensible list to be quite frank. However, if I am Detroit, I am in no way shape or form trading him to any of those places. Florida is off the list because they are within the division, won’t (shouldn’t) trade Lundell as a part of the package, and the 9th overall pick isn’t going to help Detroit re-enter the playoffs within the next season or two. Vegas can probably put together the best NHL centric package, but you’re still likely going to take a hit in overall skill on any deal. Sure, they can acquire Hertl but he’s three years older than Larkin and is in decline. I doubt Vegas would part with Dorofeyev in this trade, and they lack any prospects who make it worth the trade for Detroit. Finally, Minnesota, they truly lack every usable asset possible to acquire a player of Larkin’s caliber. Minnesota is short on centers, and it likely makes no sense for them to trade a Yurov, or Trenin, to acuire a center because it won’t fix their depth at the position. Minnesota has traded most of their exciting youth in the Hughes deal, and a relatively low on draft capital, so if I am Detroit, I don’t even entertain whatever wizardry Guerin is going to try to come up with as a trade proposal.
Ultimately if I am Yzerman, I am telling Larkin to expand the list. Larkin is the one who requested the trade so if he wants to leave, he needs to give them more options. If Larkin is unwilling to do so, Yzerman should force him to stay in Detroit. This route could go south for Detroit too of course because you don’t want a clearly disgruntled captain to start training camp, but you also don’t want to trade said captain for a shitty return just because he asked to leave. No matter how this ends, it will be fascinating to watch this unfold.
Then finally, my favorite bombshell. The Edmonton Oilers are (seemingly) hiring Mike Babcock????????? What in the absolute hell is going on in Edmonton? Mike Babcock?!?!?! The guy who has more stories about harmful conduct towards players than he does playoff appearances in the last decade is going to be the guy to get McLoser over the hump? hahahahahaha what a gigantic mistake this is going to be, and I am 100% confident in that prediction.
When this story first broke, I just assumed it was Stan Bowman going rouge. Bowman, who has also been suspended for truly heinous acts, is one of the worst GMs in the league so it would fit for him to make such an abundantly obvious bad hire. That wasn’t the case though! I was completely flabbergasted to find out that it was the leadership group that talked with Bowman and completely supports the idea of Babcock being coach! Connor McDavid really is a glutton for punishment and losing.
Any moron who thinks McDavid is on the Mount Rushmore of this sport should probably give up that take. First and foremost, you have to win a cup to be considered. It’s easier to consider Mark Recchi for Rushmore than it is Connor McDavid. Secondly, you can’t be the reason your team constantly loses in the finals. Don’t talk to me about his individual trophy cases, I do not care. He went as quiet as a ghost against Florida in the deciding games two(!) years in a row, that’s on him. Now, he is completely supportive of a hire that is more likely to end with them as a lottery team than it is get them into the playoffs! Babcock is greatly overrated. He was gifted a superteam in Detroit and only won once! Ever since, he has been mediocre or worse. Now listen, I would love to this hire actually happen because I love few things more than seeing McDavid fail but this is a completely insane decision. I can assure you that I will continue to follow this story.
Also, since Vegas is blocking Edmonton from hiring Bruce Cassidy it would be hilarious if Marner went to the NHLPA and said he was uncomfortable with Babcock being re-hired. Marner was the first, or first that we know about, to shed light on how awful a coach Mike Babcock is, and it would be great if he denied the man a job. I also like the prospect of Vegas just completely dictating who Edmonton hires, this is what sports rivalries are all about folks!
