Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) -- 2018-19 We Are The Champions Edition - Pt. 2

[CapitalsCupReality]

Nah. I won’t be thrilled if they lose, obv. Simply because Pens Fan will be so smug. That bothers the **** outta me. But beside that? It really won’t hurt.

Least, not this next year. I think if the Pens win again and Crosby over Ovechkin, it will become a sore again. NOT like the past, but certainly a sore.

Candidly, I will be upset when we get dethroned. Just because. And if it’s Pitts again?

AaaaKKKKK

Hot take....Crosby doesn’t win another Cup.

 

[Holtbyisms]

The past playoff failures for me aren’t gone, they are just much easier to accept. They are now scars that no longer hurt, but are reminders of how hard the journey was.

As a lifelong fan now in my mid 30s...was worth the wait. I was outside cap 1 when it happened and I made friends for life lol. I'm actually heading back down to hangout with a group of guys I partied with all night next week man. Talk about bringing a city together. It was absolutely insane, most electric atmosphere I've ever been in. I partied until the sun came up and the last bar open kicked us out. I honestly don't care about the failures anymore because they were all apart of this.

 

[txpd]

Also the nervous energy should be gone from Verizon Center/Capital One Arena for the foreseeable future. I was rewatching some of the Round 1 and Round 2 games from this postseason and man you could just feel the nervous energy every time something went slightly against the Caps. I imagine that won’t be a thing for a while.

This is kind of what I was saying. The monkey off their back freed them to the level of play they showed in rounds 3 and 4. It makes all the more clear how the monkey was holding them back. Them and us. Recall that Shattenkirk said there was a distinct difference in the building between a regular season game and a playoff game. That the arena didn't have positive energy. It was true.

It shouldn't be like that this season. For them or for us

 

[Foots]

This is kind of what I was saying. The monkey off their back freed them to the level of play they showed in rounds 3 and 4. It makes all the more clear how the monkey was holding them back. Them and us. Recall that Shattenkirk said there was a distinct difference in the building between a regular season game and a playoff game. That the arena didn't have positive energy. It was true.

It shouldn't be like that this season. For them or for us

I don't think Shattenkirk knows anything about this team or the fans. He played like how many playoff games for the Caps? Like 13? He don't know shiet.

 

[Silky mitts]

I don't think Shattenkirk knows anything about this team or the fans. He played like how many playoff games for the Caps? Like 13? He don't know shiet.

That game 7 vs the Pens in 2017, most people in the building were expecting a loss and as soon as something went wrong it was evidence of that belief. I left the 2nd game vs Columbus this year because I thought there was a 0% chance in OT. That Montreal upset, that was the worst, no one in the building thought they were winning that, that was palpable. You just think of all the time you went into there or the Cap Center with the Caps coming off of 2 losses in a row going to game 7 and you've convinced yourself the rule of averages would take effect and were never rewarded, then it expanded to all elimination games as they dropped to 5-11 or whatever in game 7s. I've gone to a lot of Caps games and game 6 vs Tampa was the biggest Capitals win I'd seen in person by such a wide margin I could handle that game 3 Holtby giveaway to make it 2-1 without dread because I'd finally seen them win a relevant game at home.

 

[txpd]

I don't think Shattenkirk knows anything about this team or the fans. He played like how many playoff games for the Caps? Like 13? He don't know shiet.

Sorry. As an outsider he could far easier see the change.

 

[Raikkonen]

KSK is smart guy I think. I remember reading his article at Player's Tribune. He's a student of the game. His thinking could be his strong side. So he very well could notice that thing.

But being smart alone doesn't get you far in SC playoffs (or in life).

 

[Bananas]

Shattenkirk...lol.

Sure. Maybe he’s got a head on his shoulders but he didn’t appear to have a heart in his chest.

Hope that loser is happy with all his jamook bretheren in the City - going to fancy restaurants and chasing poon or whatever it was he was clearly pining after.

He ain’t ever winning shit.

 

[Melkor]

This team has finally shown they can compete when stakes are high, they're back together with the same roster and I'd guess the nature of their game won't change much since Rierden is in charge. The cup is great but the appetite comes with eating. Dont expect from them any less than a conference final. Holtby must get his shit together right from the get go, his last year performance is unacceptable.

 

[Hivemind]

I don't understand the Shattenkirk hate. It wasn't his fault that team didn't get it done. There have been far worse deadline pick-ups, as well.

 

[Midnight Judges]

I wonder if now that we won the Cup our expectations will be higher and we'll feel more entitled to success. Now if we get upset it will be unexpected and even more heartbreaking than before.

Nah, because you can always watch our guys hoist the cup on youtube. Can't ever take that away.

 

[Hivemind]

If I had to guess, I think most of us will live happily in a hooneymoon period for this season and possibly next. Unfortunately, this season and next are likely also the best window for winning another Cup before more substantial roster changes are mandated via age and expiring contracts. In a few years, if the franchise still only has one Cup, I think a lot of the heartburn and frustration may re-emerge, and we'll look more on the Ovechkin era with a more dual perspective (finally won a Cup, but also wasted potential). I know a lot of Phillies fans feel the same way about their 2008 Championship. It was awesome for them to break the city's championship curse, but that core probably should have been able to get at least one other Championship.

Of course this is all spitballing. This is uncharted territory for both the franchise and its fans.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I don't understand the Shattenkirk hate. It wasn't his fault that team didn't get it done. There have been far worse deadline pick-ups, as well.

Far worse when you factor in cost vs contribution the player made here?

The player was trash because he wasn’t needed and he couldn’t find a way to make himself worth a damn here...barely could crack the lineup.

 

[Devil Dancer]

Dont expect from them any less than a conference final.

I expect them to face the Pens again in the first or second round of the playoffs. As of today, that series is a pick 'em.

Losing to the Pens again would suck, but it's not an unreasonable outcome, especially if Malkin is healthy this year.

So I'm really in the same place I was to start 2016-2017, except now I know they can beat the Pens. Not that they WILL, but that they CAN.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Maybe Malkin can try to stay healthy, but I doubt it. Dude misses a lot of games for a tank.

 

[Koized]

Maybe Malkin can try to stay healthy, but I doubt it. Dude misses a lot of games for a tank.

Yes and I don't consider injuries to one of their three band-aids as an excuse for losing which some Pens fans claim. The three of them (Malkin, Letang and Crosby) have missed significant time and one of the three being injured in the playoffs is more likely than not at this point.

 

[Melkor]

They can beat Pens with Malkin. It was evident last year when they were sleepwalking first two games, took 3 games out of 4 when things got too hot and just melted down in game 7 because it was just too much to take 4 outta 5 with those Pens. I remember game 6 that year. Pens got dominated at home. They are beatable no matter is their personnel healthy ot not. They were lucky that year. That was basically cup final match up.
As for feelings about winning the cup this year and all that for the next couple of years...I dont know, a fan is a fan, once the season starts, that desire to repeat should wake up inside everyone. Its just the matter of how you feel going into the season: a constant loser that is tired to read and hear the unstoppable crap about your team all over the place or a guy who can finally enjoy hockey, be at peace with yourself as a fan and don't feel miserable if things not going well. Don't think it should take that long to celebrate

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

If I had to guess, I think most of us will live happily in a hooneymoon period for this season and possibly next. Unfortunately, this season and next are likely also the best window for winning another Cup before more substantial roster changes are mandated via age and expiring contracts. In a few years, if the franchise still only has one Cup, I think a lot of the heartburn and frustration may re-emerge, and we'll look more on the Ovechkin era with a more dual perspective (finally won a Cup, but also wasted potential). I know a lot of Phillies fans feel the same way about their 2008 Championship. It was awesome for them to break the city's championship curse, but that core probably should have been able to get at least one other Championship.

Of course this is all spitballing. This is uncharted territory for both the franchise and its fans.

I think seeing how hard it was for us to actually win one and how much luck we had to get on our sides should hopefully reinforce the notion that luck is a huge factor in competing for the Stanley Cup. If that's the only Cup the Caps win in the Ovechkin era, I'm fine with that.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

More luck nonsense? We didn’t post enough scientific study data on luck to dismiss that around these parts?

 

[Hivemind]

I think seeing how hard it was for us to actually win one and how much luck we had to get on our sides should hopefully reinforce the notion that luck is a huge factor in competing for the Stanley Cup. If that's the only Cup the Caps win in the Ovechkin era, I'm fine with that.

I'm fine with that today, but five years from now I may feel differently. Probably (hopefully) not about the 2019-2024 teams, but some of the sting behind the 2009-2017 losses will return.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I'm fine with that today, but five years from now I may feel differently. Probably (hopefully) not about the 2019-2024 teams, but some of the sting behind the 2009-2017 losses will return.

You can make the argument that failure was the price for success. We had to learn from our mistakes.

 

[Hivemind]

You can make the argument that failure was the price for success. We had to learn from our mistakes.

Taking a decade to learn from mistakes isn't exactly a comforting argument for those lamenting about wasted opportunities

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Taking a decade to learn from mistakes isn't exactly a comforting argument for those lamenting about wasted opportunities

Clearly we weren't ready for a good portion of those 10 years though.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

More luck nonsense? We didn’t post enough scientific study data on luck to dismiss that around these parts?

You don't agree that winning takes a lot of luck?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

You don't agree that winning takes a lot of luck?

I don’t believe in continually raising the issue of “luck” as somehow a major contributor to winning it all. Yes they got some bounces and some went the other way as well.