OT: Around the NHL | Two Weeks Until The Draft

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JimmyTwoTimes

Registered User
Apr 13, 2010
19,958
5,281
Caps would rather face any goalie in the league than Fleury right now. They know him all too well. And theres still that Pens connection. Just when they thought they got the pens demons out of their system....they have to go up against Fleury.

A few bad goals let in by Holtby ...look out.

Caps only win if Holtby wins it for them. Its all on him.

Last guy he wants to see across the ice in net is Fleury.
 
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cheesedanish87

Registered User
Jun 27, 2012
10,797
2,157
Pittsburgh
Not sure I agree with the first part. Vegas is absolutely relentless. They remind me of the 2016 Pens in a lot of ways, just without the top end superstars. But they’re fast and in your face 24/7. And they can actually finish. Not to mention, they’re excellent at home. Gonna be a tough series for the Caps I think, but I’ve thought that every series so far and they keep proving me wrong.

Vegas reminds me of last years penguin team, Goaltending and opportunistic scoring.

The 2016 Pens team were just better then everybody else, they dominated every team they played.

Vegas was outplayed for the most part against San Jose and Winnipeg.

Vegas had its moments in both series where they were better, but for the most part San Jose and Winnipeg were better.
 

Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
80,382
77,967
Redmond, WA
Vegas and Washington have virtually identical corsi stats throughout these playoffs, you could argue that the Caps and Knights are both teams who have been carried by goaltending and opportunist scoring. Hell, that's exactly how the Caps beat the Penguins. They're 2 similar teams and Vegas has beaten better teams more convincingly than Vegas, hence why I'm voting Vegas in the finals.
 

bambamcam4ever

107 and counting
Feb 16, 2012
14,301
6,344
The Caps trust in each other to perform their role in the D-zone in really impressive. No one is leaving their man to double another guy, and as result Tampa didn't do anything on offense the entire series when they didn't have a man advantage.
 
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Ginormousthumbs

Registered User
Jul 7, 2013
6,665
3,869
West Side
The Caps have a composure that they haven’t had in the past. They definitely have a better chance at beating the Knights than Tampa would have. And they have been good on the road.
 
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WayneSid9987

Registered User
Nov 24, 2009
30,053
5,676
The Caps trust in each other to perform their role in the D-zone in really impressive. No one is leaving their man to double another guy, and as result Tampa didn't do anything on offense the entire series when they didn't have a man advantage.

Agreed. They had a little scare there losing 3 straight but in the end they were getting the better of the play with their structure even in the losses.

IF MAF continues his unreal play tho, Holtby's gonna have to match it for WSH to have a shot.
 

Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
42,447
This'll be the first time I don't care to watch the SCF in over 10 years.

I actually want MAF to win, just to finally shut the people up that for years, told us Fleury as never a #1 caliber goalie until his final year for us in the playoffs and now with VGK.

For all the shit people talk about MAF, he deserves this and the Conn Smythe. I really really want him to win.
 

Turin

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Feb 27, 2018
21,868
25,271
Flower shutting the Caps down would be the best. No idea what will happen though.
 
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MetalheadPenguinsFan

Registered User
Sep 17, 2009
63,697
16,744
Canada
I actually want MAF to win, just to finally shut the people up that for years, told us Fleury as never a #1 caliber goalie until his final year for us in the playoffs and now with VGK.

For all the **** people talk about MAF, he deserves this and the Conn Smythe. I really really want him to win.

It's a lose-lose IMO.

If Vegas win, it's kind of a slap in the face to every other franchise (especially Cup-less ones) that a ragtag expansion team were able to win in all in their first season.

If the Caps win....well......this place will become even more insufferable.
 
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Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
42,447
It's a lose-lose IMO.

If Vegas win, it's kind of a slap in the face to every other franchise (especially Cup-less ones) that a ragtag expansion team were able to win in all in their first season.

If the Caps win....well......this place will become even more insufferable.
I don't know if I feel that way.

Usually an expansion team gets some veteran hack of a coach or some friend of the GM that is thrown in there. Vegas started off hiring one of the best available coaches and one that should have never been fired in Florida, then they started off their franchise adding a cup winning goalie that just came off some brilliant playoff play and a bunch of hungry guys that wanted expanded roles and then made sure they showed they deserved it.

It is a rag-tag group, but a rag-tag group of some talented players led by a 3x cup winning goalie and a fantastic coach.
 

cygnus47

Registered User
Sep 14, 2013
7,510
2,594
The Caps trust in each other to perform their role in the D-zone in really impressive. No one is leaving their man to double another guy, and as result Tampa didn't do anything on offense the entire series when they didn't have a man advantage.

Yeah that's the number one thing. They're not generating crazy offense, they're not stopping teams from getting in their zone, they're just doing an awesome job of not letting anyone get good scoring chances or if they do, they get one and they're done. Picking up sticks, interfering, blocking shots etc. It's a super frustrating style and they've easily outlasted every team they've played. As soon as the other teams start trying to force it, the Caps score on the rush the other way.

I think Vegas has a good style to counter it, but I thought that about Tampa as well. You have to cause turnovers at the bluelines by pressuring their D, and you have to not force it even if they manage to stop you all game. Biggest thing though is not allowing the first goal.
 

mad4comp

Registered User
Jan 21, 2010
6,246
2,852
Vegas and Washington have virtually identical corsi stats throughout these playoffs, you could argue that the Caps and Knights are both teams who have been carried by goaltending and opportunist scoring. Hell, that's exactly how the Caps beat the Penguins. They're 2 similar teams and Vegas has beaten better teams more convincingly than Vegas, hence why I'm voting Vegas in the finals.

Vegas against Vegas eh? Alright then.
 
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Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
42,447
Vegas took out the Kings, Sharks, and Jets.
Capitals took out the Jackets, Pens, and Bolts - taking longer to defeat some of those teams.

Vegas is more rested, has been far more convincing as the better team in every one of those series.
 

cygnus47

Registered User
Sep 14, 2013
7,510
2,594
Vegas took out the Kings, Sharks, and Jets.
Capitals took out the Jackets, Pens, and Bolts - taking longer to defeat some of those teams.

Vegas is more rested, has been far more convincing as the better team in every one of those series.

Eh, Kings especially, but also the Sharks weren't great. Vegas beating the Jets is huge, but I don't think that series was as bad as 4-1 suggests either. Washington beating Tampa could easily be an equivalent achievement.
 

Giskard

Registered User
Jun 20, 2008
1,828
568
Alps
I think that this Caps are weaker then the previous two play-off runs, and here they are in the SCF. If it wasn't for the Pens, we could be on the verge of a Washington 3-peat ...
It's funny that our only hope to see the Caps defeated are still MAF :thumbu:
 
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Ryder71

Registered User
Nov 24, 2017
22,829
11,033
I'm a bit torn here, Vegas would be a great story and there are many former pens you could in theory cheer for. On the other hand if the caps win it kinda validates our cup runs even more. Not that we necessarily need that, but the winner of the Pens-Caps series would have won the last three cups. I'll watch because I think it will be an entertaining series but I'm not gonna be overjoyed or devastated either way. The only thing about Vegas that would bother me a bit I guess is that it's their inaugural season. I'm not sure a team should come in and win it all their very first year in existence. I think each fan base needs to suffer a bit first to appreciate just how difficult and challenging of a feat it really is.
 

Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
42,447
Eh, Kings especially, but also the Sharks weren't great. Vegas beating the Jets is huge, but I don't think that series was as bad as 4-1 suggests either. Washington beating Tampa could easily be an equivalent achievement.

Tampa ran out of gas in game 5. Game 6 and 7 the Caps just spanked them. Not because the Caps were just that good, but more so the Bolts were just that bad. Game 6 was comical, like so many passes into their own skates, terrible clearing attempts, it was like they forgot it was the ECF and that they were up.
 
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Angrrus

Registered User
May 24, 2017
871
152
This is such a stupid, bizarre playoffs this year. How can a first year franchise with exactly 0 grade A star players on its roster play so well and reach the finals? How can Caps be so good in playoffs? How could Holtby all of a sudden turn into a brick wall? These and many other questions are really mindboggling.

I'm totally devastated and feel empty emotionally. This will literally be the most blah SCF since maybe Hawks-Bruins in 2013. I wish these both teams to lose in the finals. But since it's not possible, I guess I'll have to root for Vegas and MAF. Can't believe I'm typing it. But if I see Ovechkin, Wilson, Oshie, Holtby, Niskanen raising the Cup - I think I'll have a stroke.
 
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Icarium

Registered User
Feb 16, 2010
3,875
5,486
Tampa was outplayed for something like 90% of this series, it's a miracle they even had 3-2 games lead. I said the Caps needed a Rust and they got him in Burakovski. Funnily enough, before his two goals the Bolts had dominated the game more than in any other point in the series but just couldn't score. Hockey is funny game like that. After those goals it was all over.

The difference between Vegas and Tampa is that Vegas plays for 60 minutes, not 20. If they can keep it up, they have a pretty good chance of coming on top. But the Caps, other than Wilson and Oshie are not as annoying as in years past so if they win, my hat is off to them. Talk about a demon-exorcising season for the ages.
 
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