2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 2

[Taro T]

Is that the feared end game for advanced stats in sports?

 

You get your stats gurus, and I'll get mine, and, pursuant to certain rules and parameters, they'll each assemble a roster of theoretical players, and then those teams will play each other in 10,000 simulations to determine supremacy?

Basically Strat-o-matic Hockey on steroids?

[Randall Flagg]

From hfboards, from a reddit user named Tennyson:

 

Edited May 9, 2017 by Randall Flagg

[pi2000]

I question the makeup of that team if they need that snot on the bench to play their best. That's not a team that's going to win a cup, even if Jesus Chris(t) Neil is on the bench.

 

Lmfao

 

these are humans with human emotions, not robots you program and put out on the ice.

 

if it's a rough physical series it absolutely helps knowing you have a guy like Neil ready to jump over the boards.

[WildCard]

these are humans with human emotions, not robots you program and put out on the ice.

 

if it's a rough physical series it absolutely helps knowing you have a guy like Neil ready to jump over the boards.

There exists guys that can do this for you, and not be as bad as Neil is. 

[TrueBlueGED]

I actually wasn't calling you a robot. I just get the feeling that you might prefer watching them play hockey. :lol:

Have you ever seen Real Steel? Robot sports are the best! :lol:

 

Myself and others who believe in statistical analysis of sports don't want to watch robots play, we simply want to quantify what matters and how much. Is X really important, or do we just think it's important because we were taught it was? If it's important, how important relative to other things? And so on. Is that really so bad?

[WildCard]

Have you ever seen Real Steel? Robot sports are the best! :lol:

 

Myself and others who believe in statistical analysis of sports don't want to watch robots play, we simply want to quantify what matters and how much. Is X really important, or do we just think it's important because we were taught it was? If it's important, how important relative to other things? And so on. Is that really so bad?

I mean for me, it adds so much more enjoyment to the game. There are so many theories and beliefs on players and FO's and strategy and all that, and those stats provide you proof for one side or the other. Doesn't get much better than having the answer to a question readily available

[Randall Flagg]

Have you ever seen Real Steel? Robot sports are the best! :lol:

 

Myself and others who believe in statistical analysis of sports don't want to watch robots play, we simply want to quantify what matters and how much. Is X really important, or do we just think it's important because we were taught it was? If it's important, how important relative to other things? And so on. Is that really so bad?

It's terrible, and I will build a straw man that will never actually happen to illustrate just how terrible it is.

[That Aud Smell]

these are humans with human emotions, not robots you program and put out on the ice.

 

if it's a rough physical series it absolutely helps knowing you have a guy like Neil ready to jump over the boards.

 

I think there is something to this.

 

And it dovetails with an axiom to which I subscribe: Hockey players (and perhaps pro athletes generally) are not complicated people.

 

There exists guys that can do this for you, and not be as bad as Neil is. 

 

And is that player currently rostered to the Sens?

[Randall Flagg]

Does Chris Neil have more or less of an effect on those Senators players than when they wear their lucky jock strap and do all of the other superstitious nonsense? Because the players insist the same things about their smelly socks that they did about Neil sitting the bench. I'm not inclined to believe one over the other.

Edited May 9, 2017 by Randall Flagg

[WildCard]

And is that player currently rostered to the Sens?

Phenuef? I'm sure there's someone that can be just as physical as Neil, and not a literal rock on the ice. And if there's not, if an 'energy' guy like that doesn't exist on your team, and your team needs one, or yours just sucks, well, maybe you should fire your GM. It's no secret that roster is a garbage construction anyways

Does Chris Neil have more or less of an effect on those Senators players than when they wear their lucky jock strap and do all of the other superstitious nonsense? Because the players insist the same things about their smelly socks that they did about Neil sitting the bench.

I mean I get the idea of an energy player like that, and I think they have their use, but there has to be a better example than Chris freaking Neil. Getzlaf provides the same stuff for his team, but he's actually good. 

 

PS, momentum is a thing  :ph34r:

[Randall Flagg]

Phenuef? I'm sure there's someone that can be just as physical as Neil, and not a literal rock on the ice. And if there's not, if an 'energy' guy like that doesn't exist on your team, and your team needs one, or yours just sucks, well, maybe you should fire your GM. It's no secret that roster is a garbage construction anyways

I mean I get the idea of an energy player like that, and I think they have their use, but there has to be a better example than Chris freaking Neil. Getzlaf provides the same stuff for his team, but he's actually good. 

 

PS, momentum is a thing  :ph34r:

The Senators of this year are the 07-11 Sabres with their 60 point center (Connolly) actually being healthy but with similar "softness" accusations, and then switch out a D-man for one of the best ones in NHL history. 

[Taro T]

Does Chris Neil have more or less of an effect on those Senators players than when they wear their lucky jock strap and do all of the other superstitious nonsense? Because the players insist the same things about their smelly socks that they did about Neil sitting the bench.

The superstitions are nonsense. But in fairness, even for that select 1,000 or so guys (actually closer to 650-700) that beat the odds (0.05% chance at best, and that's probably an order of magnitude high) & become NHLers they still only have ~3% chance of winning the Stanley Cup any given season. If never washing your shin pads gives you that mental edge to push past it, who's to say it's wrong. :wacko: :doh:

 

 

 

:p

[That Aud Smell]

Does Chris Neil have more or less of an effect on those Senators players than when they wear their lucky jock strap and do all of the other superstitious nonsense? Because the players insist the same things about their smelly socks that they did about Neil sitting the bench. I'm not inclined to believe one over the other.

 

I'm not so sure those two things are on par with one another. In fact, I think they're not.

 

Phenuef? I'm sure there's someone that can be just as physical as Neil, and not a literal rock on the ice. And if there's not, if an 'energy' guy like that doesn't exist on your team, and your team needs one, or yours just sucks, well, maybe you should fire your GM. It's no secret that roster is a garbage construction anyways

I mean I get the idea of an energy player like that, and I think they have their use, but there has to be a better example than Chris freaking Neil. Getzlaf provides the same stuff for his team, but he's actually good. 

 

PS, momentum is a thing  :ph34r:

 

I submit that Chris Neil - as big a POS as I think he is - is uniquely situated to be the currently rostered player who can embolden this Sens team, stiffen their resolve, etc.

 

Also, I just can't get down with potshots at the Senators' current roster, and such. They're on the verge of the conference finals. They're good enough, apparently.

 

NFW Phaneuf is doing something similar for anyone.

[SwampD]

Have you ever seen Real Steel? Robot sports are the best! :lol:

 

Myself and others who believe in statistical analysis of sports don't want to watch robots play, we simply want to quantify what matters and how much. Is X really important, or do we just think it's important because we were taught it was? If it's important, how important relative to other things? And so on. Is that really so bad?

I have seen Real Steel. Other than the cheese, I thought it was kinda cool.

 

Stats aren't a bad thing, but they only look backwrds and they are big picture. A single game is the definition of small sample size and it's those tiny deviations from the norm that make sports exciting and the reason we watch.

Edited May 9, 2017 by SwampD

[Randall Flagg]

I'm not so sure those two things are on par with one another. In fact, I think they're not.

 

 

I submit that Chris Neil - as big a POS as I think he is - is uniquely situated to be the currently rostered player who can embolden this Sens team, stiffen their resolve, etc.

 

Also, I just can't get down with potshots at the Senators' current roster, and such. They're on the verge of the conference finals. They're good enough, apparently.

 

NFW Phaneuf is doing something similar for anyone.

The positive emotion might not be on the same level, but the jock straps aren't turning the puck over or spending 1/12th of the forward slots on the bench for 57 minutes, effectively making the Sens play a man down. And while some guys may like that Chris is there, I hear far too many reports about players being displeased at undeserved ice time being given to bad players (like, three different times with my favorite team this year) to think that every player on the Sens is banding together to be tough 4 Chris.

 

Separately, I sat next to True at the sabrespace game. Stats don't take anything away from his ability to be a fan and enjoy sports for what they are. Trust me.

[TrueBlueGED]

I have seen Real Steel. Other than the cheese, I thought it was kinda cool.

 

Stats aren't a bad thing, but they only look backwrds and they are big picture. A single game is the definition of small sample size and it's those tiny deviations from the norm that make sports exciting and the reason we watch.

The bold is decidedly untrue.

 

That aside, I wholeheartedly agree that deviations from the norm are fun!

I'm not so sure those two things are on par with one another. In fact, I think they're not.

A placebo effect is a placebo effect is a placebo effect :nana:

[SwampD]

The bold is decidedly untrue.

 

That aside, I wholeheartedly agree that deviations from the norm are fun!

 

A placebo effect is a placebo effect is a placebo effect :nana:

I misused "big picture".

[I-90 W]

Rags in a hole already.

[That Aud Smell]

Neil with :23 in TOI.

 

Solid.

A placebo effect is a placebo effect is a placebo effect :nana:

Neil and lucky socks are likewise placebo effects.

 

Prove it, I say.

 

(Spoiler alert: I don't think it's susceptible to proof.)

[I-90 W]

Wow Bettman giving buffalo love.

[qwksndmonster]

Is anybody else seeing the profuse amount of weird hair on Bettman's cheeks?

He looks more like a goblin than ever before. That's amazing.

[sodbuster]

This freaking Sens team being 40 minutes away from the ecf is blowing my gd mind right now.

[Buffalo Wings]

Why is Pierre McGuire doing EVERY SINGLE GAME????

[qwksndmonster]

the reffing in the NHL. Turris just got crosschecked to the ice behind the net and nothing. But don't close your hand on the puck, or god forbid, put it over the glass!

 

They need to clean the needless violence out of the sport. Get rid of the horrible pathetic interpretation of interference. The BS that anybody can hit anybody as long as they had the puck 1.5 seconds ago. The reason guys like Chris Neil still have some value is because the playoffs become a war. The players get ground down and the game gets slower and sloppier the further into may we get. Games regularly go stretches of 6-7 minutes where neither team strings two passes together.

 

I mean it's great, because hockey. But it could be so so so much better.

Edited May 10, 2017 by qwksndmonster

[I-90 W]

Got a game now.