GDT: '19-'20 STANLEY CUP THREAD

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

People who think this win was somehow easier, had less intensity, or meant less to the players need to watch Jamie Benn's post game conference.

 

[Bench]

People who think this win was somehow easier, had less intensity, or meant less to the players need to watch Jamie Benn's post game conference.

I've been hard on Benn, but that definitely made it clear effort wasn't an issue for him these playoffs. He had a hell of a run.

Seguin though...

 

[FabricDetails]

Also none of the players could visit home for nearly 3 months. And there were multiple back to back games per series sometimes, and a lot of hockey every other day. This win is honestly more impressive than most Cup wins ever tbh.

Well let's not go that far.

No travel is a HUGE deal as far as rest and recovery. Not being able to see your family is potentially a big deal but these guys are away from their families all the time.

In the end, I just think it's pointless to ponder whether this year's championship as less or more legitimate. The playing field was leveled for everyone and they all had to deal with different challenges and advantages than past playoff teams.

 

[FabricDetails]

Seguin though...

You think he was partying with the Lightning team?

(In reference to that narrative of how he parties too much).

 

[Pavels Dog]

I disagree with this. Yes, crowds, home/away factor do come into play, especially from a fan perspective. But for the players, at some point they all realize the hockey is the same and a championship as well as individual success is on the line. We had plenty of "kill or be killed" moments in these playoffs.

Seemed to be a lot more blowouts than normal playoffs too. Maybe not, statistically I don’t know. Anyway I’ll always stick by my opinion that playing was the wrong move, even though it worked out alright. Hopefully by 21-22 the hockey is back to nornal again.

 

[FabricDetails]

Seemed to be a lot more blowouts than normal playoffs too. Maybe not, statistically I don’t know. Anyway I’ll always stick by my opinion that playing was the wrong move, even though it worked out alright. Hopefully by 21-22 the hockey is back to nornal again.

The wrong move in what way?

I don't know if you're aware of what the implications would have been for the NHL business wise/CBA wise but it's not as simple as "The hockey won't be the same so just shut it down" and no consequences would come from that.

 

[Sentinel]

I enjoyed these playoffs tremendously. Even though Tampa fans are super-annoying.

 

[Christien]

 

[Winger98]

There's no way of saying this without it seeming to take something from Tampa, but I don't view this Cup the same as I would from a normal season, just as I don't from the strike shortened years. There is something about surviving the grind of the regular season and the playoffs, I think there is more adversity to it, more stress. the gap between the regular season ending and resuming for the playoffs (or play-in or whatever) takes a lot of the brunt off that grind.

Congrats to Tampa. They beat everyone else on an equal footing from the restart and they deserve it. And I know if the Wings won in such a year I'd be thrilled. At the same time, I want to see them do it in a more conventional season.

 

[The Zermanator]

There's no way of saying this without it seeming to take something from Tampa, but I don't view this Cup the same as I would from a normal season, just as I don't from the strike shortened years. There is something about surviving the grind of the regular season and the playoffs, I think there is more adversity to it, more stress. the gap between the regular season ending and resuming for the playoffs (or play-in or whatever) takes a lot of the brunt off that grind.

Congrats to Tampa. They beat everyone else on an equal footing from the restart and they deserve it. And I know if the Wings won in such a year I'd be thrilled. At the same time, I want to see them do it in a more conventional season.

I hope someone gets Pat Maroon on record about this. I personally think it holds up to any other Cup but if anybody could put that debate to rest it's him.

 

[Pavels Dog]

The wrong move in what way?

I don't know if you're aware of what the implications would have been for the NHL business wise/CBA wise but it's not as simple as "The hockey won't be the same so just shut it down" and no consequences would come from that.

Yeah I'm sure the business side always wins out. Would have just preferred the focus being on next season instead. Maybe they could have found a way to do an 82 games season with rotating bubbles if they had started the 20-21 season when the "qualifying round" started.

 

[Bench]

I hope someone gets Pat Maroon on record about this. I personally think it holds up to any other Cup but if anybody could put that debate to rest it's him.

Best quote I could find.

Maroon wins consecutive Stanley Cup titles with Lightning, Blues

"It was very hard," Maroon said of being in the bubble for 65 days since arriving in Toronto, the hub city for the first two rounds of the Eastern Conference playoffs, on July 26. "Obviously being away from your kids, your wife, family, whatever that may be. Sitting in your hotel rooms, there were some dark days there where you just kind of just wanted to sleep it off a little bit, fight for the next day, but these guys battled hard and that's why we did. We worked hard, we came together as a group, and we found ways to get things done."

 

[FabricDetails]

"Process."