If Tampa and the Caps lose their series...

[Hoek]

Bolts are a younger team so I think mistakes can be more readily forgiven. For the Caps and Ovechkin in particular not to get the job done after so many years and the best chance yet... I dunno man.

 

[Acallabeth]

Yes they will, and it's exactly what you're going 2 c.

 

[GOAT AINEC]

If Tampa loses, yes..

The Rangers weren't going to lose in 5, and not winning game 5 is what did the Pens in last year when they were up 3-1 on the Rangers.

Also, Holtby hasn't been very good in big games like this and Lundqvist's record when facing elimination speaks for itself. Caps should definitely be worried, as the Rangers don't lose game 7's.

Lastly, Ovi is not helping the whole lazy Russian stereotype as he has completely disappeared after game 2. No wonder he has never made it past the second round..

 

[Frank Drebin]

Yes, to which question I'm not sure.

 

[oobga]

Losing series after being up 3-0 is always a choke. 3-1 when you only have 1 home game out of the remaining 3 games. I dunno if that's nearly as bad.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

If Tampa loses, yes..

The Rangers weren't going to lose in 5, and not winning game 5 is what did the Pens in last year when they were up 3-1 on the Rangers.

Also, Holtby hasn't been very good in big games like this and Lundqvist's record when facing elimination speaks for itself. Caps should definitely be worried, as the Rangers don't lose game 7's.

Lastly, Ovi is helping the whole lazy Russian stereotype as he has completely disappeared after game 2. No wonder he has never made it past the second round..

It's not that he is lazy. He works hard and all, but he doesn't make the smartest decisions on the ice. He lacks that extra creativity which would allow him to break through when his usual tricks don't work.

Today was a good example of that. He was hustling all over the ice, but he didn't make the right decisions with the puck.

 

[illpucks]

Rangers won in the 2nd round (1-3 deficit) last season.

It's a yearly thing for them.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

If you're ever up 3-1 or 3-0 and blow it then it's definitely a choke job. Not being able to win 1 in those last 3 or 4 games is inexcusable.

Bingo

 

[GOAT AINEC]

Honestly, it's hard to say..

The Habs and Rangers were in the ECF last year and finished #1 and #2 overall in the regular season, and have the two best goalies in the league. If the Bolts and Caps lose it will be somewhat of a choke but not as much of a choke as if the Ducks blew a 3-1 series lead against the Flames.

 

[BMOK33]

Losing series after being up 3-0 is always a choke. 3-1 when you only have 1 home game out of the remaining 3 games. I dunno if that's nearly as bad.

Its amazing to me teams only blow 3-1 leads 10% of the time, because it seems to me its way higher than that.

 

[rh71]

It's not that he is lazy. He works hard and all, but he doesn't make the smartest decisions on the ice. He lacks that extra creativity which would allow him to break through when his usual tricks don't work.

Today was a good example of that. He was hustling all over the ice, but he didn't make the right decisions with the puck.

Agreed. He's a bull, basically, with above avg hand-eye. He'll make a good cross-ice pass occasionally, but he's not going to do it all. People say he's improved so much defensively and his all-around game is so much better. As someone who's watched 99% of his games in the league, I see no damn difference is his effort level and defensive ability. He comes back and I have videos from his rookie year doing the same damn thing. He's not the best at making the play when it gets to him. You know what you're paying for when you employ him, and that's fine too.

 

[TampaDude]

If Tampa loses, yes..

The Rangers weren't going to lose in 5, and not winning game 5 is what did the Pens in last year when they were up 3-1 on the Rangers.

Also, Holtby hasn't been very good in big games like this and Lundqvist's record when facing elimination speaks for itself. Caps should definitely be worried, as the Rangers don't lose game 7's.

Lastly, Ovi is helping the whole lazy Russian stereotype as he has completely disappeared after game 2. No wonder he has never made it past the second round..

Please don't blame the players or the coaches. I ALONE control the outcome of these two series, and I have, just for kicks, decided that both the Lightning and the Capitals will be eliminated from the playoffs this year.

Attempting to avoid what HAS ALREADY HAPPENED is utterly futile. It would be like an acorn laying in the middle of the street trying to avoid being crushed by an oncoming steamroller that has already rolled over it. It's just not happening, period.

 

[AntonCH]

I'm laughing at the responses here

Up 3-0 or 3-1 means you only have to win 1 game
1 game
So yes it's a choke on both counts
No idea of how it can be seen differently

 

[illpucks]

Honestly, it's hard to say..

The Habs and Rangers were in the ECF last year and finished #1 and #2 overall in the regular season, and have the two best goalies in the league. If they Bolts and Caps lose it will be somewhat of a choke but not as much of a choke as if the Ducks blew a 3-1 series lead against the Flames.

Pretty much. If the Rangers don't make the ECF despite the Presidents' it is a choke. But it is also a choke if that team comes back from 3-1? They are suppose to win this series...

 

[Riddum]

Probably

In all fairness to Tampa, that series should really be 3-2 Habs right now. The regs gave them game 1. They won game 3 on a fluke goal. They got murdered in game 4. Humbled in game 5. Say they split one of the 2 fluke games...

 

[BMOK33]

In all fairness to Tampa, that series should really be 3-2 Habs right now. The regs gave them game 1. They won game 3 on a fluke goal. They got murdered in game 4. Humbled in game 5. Say they split one of the 2 fluke games...

Both series were way closer in reality than the games said after games 3 and 4 respectively, no way you could say Tampa should have been up 3-0 and the Caps should have been up 3-1, exactly why both going 7 would not surprise me.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Well, if you're up 3-1 or 3-0 in the series, that means you've lost 3-4 games in a row to lose the series. So yes, it's a choke.

 

[TampaDude]

Pretty much. If the Rangers don't make the ECF despite the Presidents' it is a choke. But it is also a choke if that team comes back from 3-1? They are suppose to win this series...

Winning the President's Trophy doesn't necessarily equate to success in the playoffs, though.

 

[Cassano]

Caps wouldn't be a choke.

 

[Harpo]

TB will win this. For the Caps, it sounds like it will be one of these mild choke jobs we see every year.

They had the chance (thrice!) but failed against a superior team.

 

[Rob]

I wouldn't object to calling a Caps loss a choke but it wouldn't be that surprising. All the games have been pretty tight.

Tampa Bay. Yes. It would be a choke. I don't care if the Sabres had a 3-0 lead on Chicago. If they blow that lead it is a choke.

 

[DanZ]

Bolts are a younger team so I think mistakes can be more readily forgiven. For the Caps and Ovechkin in particular not to get the job done after so many years and the best chance yet... I dunno man.

They were the underdogs going into the series and every game has been extremely close. Tampa losing the series would be a massive choke job.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

In all fairness to Tampa, that series should really be 3-2 Habs right now. The regs gave them game 1. They won game 3 on a fluke goal. They got murdered in game 4. Humbled in game 5. Say they split one of the 2 fluke games...

If we're playing that game then Ottawa gets to Game 7 vs Montréal and probably wins it

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

TB will win this. For the Caps, it sounds like it will be one of these mild choke jobs we see every year.

They had the chance (thrice!) but failed against a superior team.

Hey, wait, they only wasted 2 of their 3 shots. It ain't over until the handshakes.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Caps wouldn't be a choke.

just because they're expected to choke doesn't make it any less of a choke.