League News: 2015-16 Around the League VII (NHL News n' Scores n' Stuff)

[hockeykicker]

the league aint gonna allow that to happen if caps v pens is a potential 2nd round matchup

Exactly, if caps get first round win, nhl will do everything in their power to give pens caps round 2 for ratings

 

[Capsman]

The Penguins are playing desperate teams and annihilating them. The ease with which they are scoring is downright scary. I know the playoffs are different but their possession stats are much more in line with a SC winning team than ours. I think Trotz missed the boat fine tuning them. Hope I'm wrong and this has been a rope-a-dope last couple months.

 

[RandyHolt]

**** ****sburg. Trotz knows how to beat them. By killing the TV ratings. Turtle block shots Grant Jennings D, storm the net, Holtbeast, and aggressive PK the gift PPs they get. It will take 7 games of course.

Trotz does have our Dmen playing Bruce 2011 aggressive, and the C expected to cover them but he will stop if we eek out a lead.

 

[hockeykicker]

The Penguins are playing desperate teams and annihilating them. The ease with which they are scoring is downright scary. I know the playoffs are different but their possession stats are much more in line with a SC winning team than ours. I think Trotz missed the boat fine tuning them. Hope I'm wrong and this has been a rope-a-dope last couple months.

How did trotz miss fine tuning them? Have they lost 2 times in a row in regulation? Have they not also beaten good teams lately?

 

[hockeykicker]

**** ****sburg. Trotz knows how to beat them. By killing the TV ratings. Turtle block shots Grant Jennings D, storm the net, Holtbeast, and aggressive PK the gift PPs they get. It will take 7 games of course.

Trotz does have our Dmen playing Bruce 2011 aggressive, and the C expected to cover them but he will stop if we eek out a lead.

Exactly, no one should give a darn about Pitt. We aren't playing them in round one so who cares what they can do and can't do

 

[Langway]

**** ****sburg. Trotz knows how to beat them. By killing the TV ratings. Turtle block shots Grant Jennings D, storm the net, Holtbeast, and aggressive PK the gift PPs they get. It will take 7 games of course.

The storm the net part will likely be crucial. That's not an area they've needed to be great at much this season yet it might be the most crucial area they'll need to execute in the playoffs. They're used to bringing it along the walls and in generally playing sound defensively but will they show another level beyond anything shown battling in the dirty areas offensively? That may be the real question facing this team.

Pittsburgh looms as a potential second round match-up so, yes, they're very much a team worth monitoring. It could easily end up being the de facto Conference Final with all due respect to FLA & TBL.

 

[Blades of Steel]

part of me doesn't want to win the cup without beating them anyway

 

[Blades of Steel]

The storm the net part will likely be crucial. That's not an area they've needed to be great at much this season yet it might be the most crucial area they'll need to execute in the playoffs. They're used to bringing it along the walls and in generally playing sound defensively but will they show another level beyond anything shown battling in the dirty areas offensively? That may be the real question facing this team.

Pittsburgh looms as a potential second round match-up so, yes, they're very much a team worth monitoring. It could easily end up being the de facto Conference Final with all due respect to FLA & TBL.

yep those dirty goals will be needed in the trenches, our 3rd and 4th line will be the difference in a 7 game series when things get tight. I hope..

 

[RandyHolt]

Oshie and Williams should be in the crease early and often.

We peaked early, and Trotz may feel confident he can recreate that any time he wants. The difference I see is that our PP has dried up to the point we need to grind out wins. That's fine and what I wanted to see, winning based on ES play. We don't dominate games for whatever reason now, so most games are tight/coin flips.

The interesting thing about us in coast mode, is that we are the comeback kids. I don't think Trotz is hitting a switch to make that happen.

I would be interested to see the late peaking teams playoff record in the first round. We got screwed choked vs Philly after a monster run to get in.

 

[hockeykicker]

Oshie and Williams should be in the crease early and often.

We peaked early, and Trotz may feel confident he can recreate that any time he wants. The problem I see is that our PP has dried up to the point we need to grind out wins. That's fine and what I wanted to see, winning based on ES play. We don't dominate games for whatever reason now, so most games are tight/coin flips.

The interesting thing about us in coast mode, is that we are the comeback kids. I don't think Trotz is hitting a switch to make that happen.

I would be interested to see the late peaking teams playoff record in the first round. We got screwed choked vs Philly after a monster run to get in.

Didn't Ottawa win like 25 of last 30 before being almost swept last year?

 

[NoMoreChoking]

Didn't Ottawa win like 25 of last 30 before being almost swept last year?

Totally different team than the Pens

The Sens were fighting for the lives and every game was close

Pitt is dominating everyone

 

[troyerlaw]

We peaked early, Pens are peaking late. We'll see soon enough where it all ends up.

But make no mistake, it's not just that they have something to play for right now and we don't, as Tex said above. After all, i'm not comparing them just to us. I'm comparing them to the rest of the league. Pens are on a Sherman-like march right now, beating both good teams and bad by scores of 5-2, 6-2, and 7-2. They are playing teams which are absolutely desperate for standings points and are slaughtering them. They certainly embarrassed us the last time we played them.

Of course, Malkin and Fleury are big question marks, health wise.

And as i said earlier, i'm almost rooting for Malkin's return because I think it may mess up their rhythm. He gets a lot of minutes.

Still. For the moment, Pens are totally dominant. Firing on all pistons, for sure.

 

[RandyHolt]

This may be the first time in capskind that we all hoping for a top opponent player to get healthy quick!

A fun way to beat Pitt, is through internal strife. Demoralize them from the inside out. Malkin forcing his way back and hopefully not at 100% can work. Demoralize their fans too. One call not in their favor (even the refs screw up sometimes) and they will have a meltdown. Things rarely go as planned/expected in the loffs.

What was the Caps 2010 RS Corsi - comparable to Pitt by chance?

 

[Blades of Steel]

This may be the first time in capskind that we all hoping for a top opponent player to get healthy quick!

A fun way to beat Pitt, is through internal strife. Demoralize them from the inside out. Malkin forcing his way back and hopefully not at 100% can work. Demoralize their fans too. One call not in their favor (even the refs screw up sometimes) and they will have a meltdown. Things rarely go as planned/expected in the loffs.

What was the Caps 2010 RS Corsi - comparable to Pitt by chance?

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Why be scared of anyone right now? Had a look at the standings?

Is there any actual track record that getting hot at the end of the year translates into long playoff runs?

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Why be scared of anyone right now? Had a look at the standings?

Is there any actual track record that getting hot at the end of the year translates into long playoff runs?

Again, this can't be repeated enough times. As Backstrom said, when the playoffs start, regular season stuff is irrelevant, and that includes the PT.

Our current slump, the PT, Pittsburgh's hot streak, the Rangers falling apart, none of that will matter. The Caps entered the playoffs in every imaginable way, and each time it gave the same results.

Personally, I think the Caps are ready for the battle.

 

[ovikovy817]

Well, I think, Flyers will be our opponent in 1st round, because. When I want Flyers to win, they lose. And when I want Flyers to lose, they win. F*** you Flyers incredible.

Hope Boston, Red Wings or Isles will be on WC2 position at the end.

 

[Blades of Steel]

Why be scared of anyone right now? Had a look at the standings?

Is there any actual track record that getting hot at the end of the year translates into long playoff runs?

here's an article I found, but it doesn't seem to be as black and white as some think.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hocke..._the_season_does_performance_matter_most.html


also, one could argue that facing a stronger opponent in the first round would prepare for a long run versus playing an easy opponent then facing a much stronger in the second round.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

here's an article I found, but it doesn't seem to be as black and white as some think.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hocke..._the_season_does_performance_matter_most.html


also, one could argue that facing a stronger opponent in the first round would prepare for a long run versus playing an easy opponent then facing a much stronger in the second round.

Could their graph have any lower of a resolution? Sheesh.

 

[Blades of Steel]

Could their graph have any lower of a resolution? Sheesh.

I'm sure there are more out there that was just a quick result I found, the closing argument basically notes what some of us are thinking anyway.

What does all this mean?
First, since there seems to be no correlation between a team’s performance over the last five games and its playoff performance, it means teams should be less concerned about a little rust at the start of the playoffs and should freely rest their players as the season winds down.

 

[txpd]

also, one could argue that facing a stronger opponent in the first round would prepare for a long run versus playing an easy opponent then facing a much stronger in the second round.

one could argue that. one could also argue that a brutal 1st round series makes the team more vulnerable in round 2. pierre said as much about the Islanders being the reason the Caps ran out of gas vs the Rangers.

it could go either way. the year the Caps lost to the Pens in the 2nd round. Wasn't that a case of the Caps having a hard fought 7 game series while the Pens coasted passed a gassed Sens team or something? Maybe I remember that wrong.

IIRC the last time the Caps won a series in 5 games they were then swept in the next round. so....

 

[NoMoreChoking]

I'm sure there are more out there that was just a quick result I found, the closing argument basically notes what some of us are thinking anyway.

But doesn't the article say the performance over the last 10 games is more indicative of how it will be come playoffs?

 

[twabby]

It's pretty clear to me that the Penguins are the most significant threat to the Capitals in the East. They are playing incredible hockey and it's not just a run of 5-10 games. They have been excellent since the new year started.

Capitals record since January 1: 28-11-4

Penguins record since January 1: 29-10-5

Practically identical records and the Penguins have much better underlying stats, in fact they have been the best in the league. Capitals have the edge in goaltending and overall depth probably, but Letang is better than any of our current defensemen and Crosby is certainly better than any of our forwards.

If the Capitals win their first round matchup, I'd much, much rather face the Rangers in the second round than the Penguins. The Penguins look like a team that can win the Stanley Cup unlike the Rangers.

 

[txpd]

If the Capitals win their first round matchup, I'd much, much rather face the Rangers in the second round than the Penguins. The Penguins look like a team that can win the Stanley Cup unlike the Rangers.

I am sorry. Where is the logic in that? If the Pens are so good, why are they losing to the Rangers? If they can lose to the Rangers, why would they beat the Capitals? If the Pens are so good and the Rangers beat them , why would the Caps want to play the Rangers?

Don't fear. Don't hope for. It doesn't pay off

 

[Blades of Steel]

one could argue that. one could also argue that a brutal 1st round series makes the team more vulnerable in round 2. pierre said as much about the Islanders being the reason the Caps ran out of gas vs the Rangers.

it could go either way. the year the Caps lost to the Pens in the 2nd round. Wasn't that a case of the Caps having a hard fought 7 game series while the Pens coasted passed a gassed Sens team or something? Maybe I remember that wrong.

IIRC the last time the Caps won a series in 5 games they were then swept in the next round. so....

This is very true. That is indeed the argument, then we could say that those teams going in hot are probably in that "hard fought" situation now, does that mean the caps are the rested team? I'd tend to think so.

But doesn't the article say the performance over the last 10 games is more indicative of how it will be come playoffs?

It does, but is there any real proof that going in hot or rested making a huge difference?


My opinion is, the Caps are rested, they have the veteran leadership and Holtby is going again. That's what we should be looking at.