BaileyMacTavish
Hockey lovin' wolf
We live in a universe where the Caps are potential cup champs. Oh god this season is worse than I thought. Not as bad as Vegas, but god damn! I need someone to end me.
We live in a universe where the Caps are potential cup champs. Oh god this season is worse than I thought. Not as bad as Vegas, but god damn! I need someone to end me.
On paper, Vegas, Winnipeg, and Washington would be one of the weaker teams to win the cup and not in line with historical norms.
On paper, Vegas, Winnipeg, and Washington would be one of the weaker teams to win the cup and not in line with historical norms.
Washington has a lot of anchors that they're dragging around. Smith-Pelly, Chiasson, Jay Beagle, then you got Orpik on D.I think Winnipeg would be up to par with most of the winners. Washington might not be far from the 2017 Penguins and they’ve had the same thing: strong goaltending, superstars carrying them, and “elite” opposition goaltenders playing awful.
I think Winnipeg would be up to par with most of the winners. Washington might not be far from the 2017 Penguins and they’ve had the same thing: strong goaltending, superstars carrying them, and “elite” opposition goaltenders playing awful.
The magic formula that practically every SC winner (and a strong majority of cup finalists) have adhered to his two of these three things:
1) Vezina-quality goaltending
2) Norris-quality defenseman
3) Franchise-caliber center.
For Washington, Kuznetsov and Carlson are extremely close but just miss it. For Winnipeg, one can argue that Wheeler is basically a center, but otherwise, they would miss it.
To be fair, Carlson and Byfuglien have been "Norris-quality" this postseason by many statistical measures, and a case can be made for Scheifele playing like a franchise-caliber center as well.
The magic formula that practically every SC winner (and a strong majority of cup finalists) have adhered to his two of these three things:
1) Vezina-quality goaltending
2) Norris-quality defenseman
3) Franchise-caliber center.
For Washington, Kuznetsov and Carlson are extremely close but just miss it. For Winnipeg, one can argue that Wheeler is basically a center, but otherwise, they would miss it.
To be fair, Carlson and Byfuglien have been "Norris-quality" this postseason by many statistical measures, and a case can be made for Scheifele playing like a franchise-caliber center as well.
Yeah I would say Scheifele is a franchise center at this point for sure and Byfuglien and Trouba are both close to Norris-caliber in different ways. Also Hellebuyck is literally a Vezina finalist.
Holtby was not good in the regular season. He shouldn't even get a Vezina vote, his record was solely because of the team he played for. He was a passenger this regular season. That would be like Jones getting Vezina votes for 2016-2017. Most years he's definitely been getting/gonna get Vezina votes, if not a top 3 vote.To clarify, I think all four goalies left in the playoffs could check off that box for their team. Hellebuyck and MA Fleury on their performances throughout the year, Holtby on his record and play throughout the playoffs, Vasilevskiy on his RS record.
Let's go Caps! I can't help but root for them. They've been the Sharks of the East for a while now, with Ovechkin subbing in for Thornton as the guy who gets way too much hate/blame for his team's failures/bad luck.
I don't see anyone beating Winnipeg.
I'm still hoping the Bolts would wake up and start playing like the Bolts I know they can
Yeah. Especially Vasi. That sv% Not looking prettyI still think the Bolts take this in seven. They're too good not to. Gonna need more out of Vasilevskiy and Kucherov though.
On paper, Vegas, Winnipeg, and Washington would be one of the weaker teams to win the cup and not in line with historical norms.
I follow your line of thinking with Washington and Vegas but Winnipeg?
How would they be considered a weaker cup winner?
Like I mentioned earlier, SC winners tend to have a few superstars. So far, I think only Hellebucyk clearly qualifies. Byfuglien, Wheller, and Scheifele are having franchise-quality playoffs, but I'm not sure it is sustainable.