OT: Around the NHL | Two Weeks Until The Draft

[Rossi Rat]

Sounds about right. Letang and Fleury both responsible for the Caps winning a cup. Should have been packaged years ago. We probably 3peat without Letang and even if we dont. Real team plays Caps in SCF. Lost Fleury for nothing, win a Cup without Letang, Letang cost us a series against Caps, Fleury has typical mental midget breakdown against Caps in SCF, and Caps win a Cup because of all of that. Ever been a worse mismanagement/blow back for not trading some players because the fans like them too much? This is what some fans get for not letting GMs do their job and getting too attached to players.

Meh, Letang and Fleury are also responsible (to differing extents - I.e. Letang not last year and Fleury not in 2016) for the Caps not winning the cup at least 3 seasons as well.

 

[domaug]

You Pens fans are and even as a Caps fans I have never gotten into that Sid vs Ovie crap. Love both guys and I'm old enough to appreciate talent when I see it. Plus it's 5-1 for you guys and as a Caps/Leafs fan (sinces 1982!!!) I honestly thought neither of those two would ever win a Cup while I was alive.

P.S. My account handle was "ForzaItalia" which some of you might remember me by. I lost that password so I created this account. I would post here often and you guys were always great to me.

Oh, and Sid deserved both of his Smythe's IMO.

that name is familiar

I'm glad you get to see one of your favorites teams lift the Cup again, even if it's a team I hate lol

tbh I'm glad Ovechkin got a Cup. he's arguably one of the best goal scorers of all time, certainly of the modern era "AINEC". even Oshie I'm not too sad about after seeing his post-game interview. just Wilson and Orpik bug the hell out of me.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Meh, Letang and Fleury are also responsible for the Caps not winning the cup at least 3 seasons as well.

Not really. Letang didn't play last year and Fleury two years ago.

I love when people ignore how trades work too. It's not like we have a complete void. We trade them for somebody comparable that has a brain and not a mental midget. Fact, we even won one without each of them proves we would have been fine if not even better.

 

[trader997]

f*** you Kris Letang.... There i said it!

We didn't need scoring depth or to be healthier to beat Washington, Letang blew it big time in game 3, 5 and 6. We win this series if we hold on to our leads in game 3 and 5 like we did all season. I should stop watching these regular season stats but i have a hard time tbh.

Pens record After 2 periods ...
Lead
24-0-2

Washington record After 2 periods...
Trail
3-18-2

 

[Angrrus]

I learned something from that post... that you can have an 82 game fluke and leftovers can score 75-80 pts in a season. I mean those are some serious leftovers. I'm usually impressed when a leftover scores 50 points in a season; 75-80 is a whole new level. Clearly the refs are getting paid off with "favors" after Vegas home games. Total flukitude.

Have you heard of Maurice Richard trophy winner Jonathan Cheechoo?

A phrase "one hit wonder" means anything to you?

Did you know about the theory that PDO trends tend to spread over an entire season?

 

[Angrrus]

Umm...2009 and last year is two.

Not to mention we got all the way to game 6 of the 2008 SCF against Detroit.

In 2009 he had a playoff SV% of 0.908

In 2017 he won us 2 rounds, no question. But he fell off the cliff in Sens series. He wasn't pulled for Murray for no reason.

 

[Angrrus]

**** you Kris Letang.... There i said it!

We didn't need scoring depth or to be healthier to beat Washington, Letang blew it big time in game 3, 5 and 6. We win this series if we hold on to our leads in game 3 and 5 like we did all season. I should stop watching these regular season stats but i have a hard time tbh.

Pens record After 2 periods ...
Lead
24-0-2

Washington record After 2 periods...
Trail
3-18-2

There is a guy on thepensblog, G-Off is the name he goes by, who recently posted a blog where he proves statistically that Letang had an awesome season, and his mistakes are irrelevant and overblown.

 

[Rossi Rat]

Not really. Letang didn't play last year and Fleury two years ago.

I love when people ignore how trades work too. It's not like we have a complete void. We trade them for somebody comparable that has a brain and not a mental midget. Fact, we even won one without each of them proves we would have been fine if not even better.

You omitted where I said to differing extents. And right, easier said than done.

I don’t hate Fleury/Letang. I’m also not a Fleury/Letang fanboy. So I’m in the middle on this one. Why can’t more people be reasonable in understanding and appreciative of what they’ve done, but also not being afraid to call them out when they suck?

 

[Angrrus]

Over 30 points in the regular season and 9 points in the playoffs, I don't see why he doesn't deserve to be there.

He didn't score on a flubbing puck, so he is a choker? Get a clue.

RS points really matter for winning the Cup.

Real winners fail in key moments and lose key games.

I get it, thanks.

 

[vodeni]

morning after...still hated to see Wilson hoisting the cup....

anyhow...This was the same run we had in 2016...they got better as the play-off went, gibronis( which I hope will get overpaid like ours) had played way over their heads, the puck went in whenever it was needed, all overtime goals and bounces went their way, solid goaltending, coming back from 3:2 to tampa, eerie similar, lets hope they don't win another one next year:

That first line was lethal thanks to Kuzy playing the best hockey and Wilson playing disrupting everything in OZ and NZ giving chance to ovi and Kuzy to do their thing, they really stumble upon that line an dit worked great....
The second line was no slouch either Vrana's sepeed and Oshies' tenacity was key and then all the oyher guys Smith-peley, Stephenson, that Ozie guy, seems like everything was clicking...

No one was able to solve their 3 guys 2 d-man and F3 standing on a blue line and not allowing any breakdowns....But they hustle, they smelled it and they really put great effort (Ovi backchecking should become tale of the play offs.

and they had 2 studs on defense: Karlsson and Orlov, they were so dangerous,they skated out with the puck beautifully, they did not make too many mistakes, even Nisky was good (that short handed play Game 4 where he skated and won the puck and created penalty was unbelievable effort)

And last but not least, they figured they can hold evryone without penalty, they were smart playing body to body on opponents best players obstructing as much as possible...and it worked out to the perfection,

and yes their PP with all these guys that handle the puck beautifully and with karlsson back is just the best thing

 

[Angrrus]

And about Conn Smythe trophy.

For the third year in a row it was awarded for PR and marketing reasons to a player who wasn't really the most valuable. This year Holtby and the Birdman deserved it more than Ovie.

At this point it has become a joke of a trophy that doesn't nearly live up to its description. It should be renamed to "game marketing trophy" or something like that.

This league is ridiculous in practically everything it does.

 

[K Fleur]

Watching MAF collapse on the biggest stage is much more enjoyable when he’s not in a Pens Jersey.

 

[Beauner]

I'd say there's a 150% chace the Capitals put some kind of "Stanley Cup World Champions 2018 #1 Super Awesome Fun Time" patch on their jerseys next year. f***, they may even just make it their primary logo and plaster it on the front of their jerseys

 

[Bnat66]

This is the year of the perennial loser. First the Eagles win the Super Bowl, now this.

 

[Shockmaster]

This is the year of the perennial loser. First the Eagles win the Super Bowl, now this.

At least it wasn't the Flyers.

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

You omitted where I said to differing extents. And right, easier said than done.

I don’t hate Fleury/Letang. I’m also not a Fleury/Letang fanboy. So I’m in the middle on this one. Why can’t more people be reasonable in understanding and appreciative of what they’ve done, but also not being afraid to call them out when they suck?

Because you have to pick one goalie or the other apparently, even after a full season of one of them not being on the Penguins. Fleury wasn't notably good in this series, but I scratch my head at the people using words like "implode" or "collapse". People see what they want to see I guess. Meanwhile the Caps clearly became the better team and brought to light all the things that finally caught up to Vegas about their team that hustle and system play couldn't fix, and none of that had anything to do with goaltending.

A 4th liner was leading Vegas in goals for the series and eventually they were creating virtually zero second chance opportunities due to the Caps just playing flat out great, not to mention they straight up have twice the weapons Vegas has, but Fleury was definitely the root cause here lol.

 

[DeadPuckEra]

I'd say there's a 150% chace the Capitals put some kind of "Stanley Cup World Champions 2018 #1 Super Awesome Fun Time" patch on their jerseys next year. ****, they may even just make it their primary logo and plaster it on the front of their jerseys

This also brings to light a near tradgedy...

No longer can the “winter classic champions” banner apply. That meme was always gold, and it will remain in my heart.

 

[pensforlife]

At least it wasn't the Flyers.

or the patriots lol.


I said it after Washington beat us they will win the cup. everything was going their way and previous chokes should not be held for future results.

with that being said, there is some serious salt for fans of a team that won two straight, and about to win a third in 4

 

[pensforlife]

Because you have to pick one goalie or the other apparently, even after a full season of one of them not being on the Penguins. Fleury wasn't notably good in this series, but I scratch my head at the people using words like "implode" or "collapse". People see what they want to see I guess. Meanwhile the Caps clearly became the better team and brought to light all the things that finally caught up to Vegas about their team that hustle and system play couldn't fix, and none of that had anything to do with goaltending.

A 4th liner was leading Vegas in goals for the series and eventually they were creating virtually zero second chance opportunities due to the Caps just playing flat out great, not to mention they straight up have twice the weapons Vegas has, but Fleury was definitely the root cause here lol.

caps made goalies look foolish just like pens did these past years.

 

[Shockmaster]

caps made goalies look foolish just like pens did these past years.

Of all the goalies the Caps faced this year, Murray played best against them.

 

[DeadPuckEra]

or the patriots lol.


I said it after Washington beat us they will win the cup. everything was going their way and previous chokes should not be held for future results.

with that being said, there is some serious salt for fans of a team that won two straight, and about to win a third in 4

The salt is amplified because they trapped, hurt, clutched, grabbed their way to the silver trophy.

There are also various people in that organization, players and personell that as a penguins fan - you don’t want to see them win.

Ovechkin paid his dues... Backstrom as well. Holtby is a grade A human being (see his meeting with young pens fan with Cancer). Some of those other guys, and that jersey... nah.


One of two worst case scanerios played out here... at least it wasn’t the scum of the earth team across state.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Why not? They came back from 0-2 to beat the Jackets? They won three in Tampa. Objectively..tell me?

You said that nobody could say it. So I said it.

 

[Darth Vitale]

If nothing else I'm happy for Backstrom. Classy guy who has been a huge part of that team's success throughout the Ovechkin era. That seeing-eye saucer pass on the one-timer last night is a perfect example. And Holtby and Oshie I guess. They're allegedly good guys.

Otherwise I am pretty sure I threw up in my mouth a little last night when that game typing goal went in. Still, helluva season for Vegas I'd say. Would've happily bet anyone who wanted to $1000 at the beginning of the season that the team wouldn't make make the playoffs and $5000 they wouldn't win more than two rounds in the playoffs. Any team can win one round with a few lucky breaks but expansion teams and playoffs are just not a thing.

File this whole thing under See Also: Cubs, Trump... and whatever other crazy shit has happened the last couple years that nobody would've believed. I'm pretty sure this is all just a simulation at this point.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

The real question is:
Did the Caps shake hands quickly enough for HF Main Boards' liking? Hopefully they met the arbitrary threshold

 

[K Fleur]

The real question is:
Did the Caps shake hands quickly enough for HF Main Boards' liking? Hopefully they met the arbitrary threshold

I’m really happy I hadn’t found this terrible website when “handshake gate” was happening