Post-Game Talk: Stanley Cup Champion Tom Wilson vs the New York Islanders

[kicksavedave]

Several people argued with me because I wanted us to play a defensively responsible game. Sorry but that is a fact. I'm not saying you were one of them.

Nope, just not true. People argued with you, myself for a fact, that the lack of defense at the time was not a long term concern and not caused by a system change. No one was "against" playing a defensively responsible game, no one! No one was then and no one is now. Stop making your self into some victim/hero here.

 

[Sam Spade]

Caps have now played 24 games in 15 of them they have allowed 3 or fewer goals. In 11 of the 24 they have allowed 2 or fewer goals.

#nodefense

 

[kicksavedave]

You are essentially saying that because he was not better than or more popular then Sidney Crosby that he is not a first ballot hall of famer. Which is ridiculous. During the tenure of his career he is outscored by Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, and Patrick Kane. That's all.

Top 10 candidates for the 2019 Hockey Hall of Fame class

There's a few guys on this years ballot with similar career totals and stories to Backie, so we'll see how guys like Alfredson, Richards and Elias fare here.. Being first ballot often is simply a factor of who else is on the ballot with you at the time.

 

[895]

You are essentially saying that because he was not better than or more popular then Sidney Crosby that he is not a first ballot hall of famer. Which is ridiculous. During the tenure of his career he is outscored by Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, and Patrick Kane. That's all.

The HOF cares a lot about individual awards. Backstrom has none.

When Backstrom retires is not known, but it will probably be around the same time as as Crosby, Kopitar, Ovechkin, Malkin, Toews, Kane.

The HHOF takes on average 2 forwards a year. All it will take for Backstrom to not be a first ballot HHOFer is for two of those guys to retire the same year. And that's assuming no other deserving player that retires before Backstrom isn't in yet which is not a safe bet at all.

Backstrom will have to wait for a year without guys with more accolades.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Top 10 candidates for the 2019 Hockey Hall of Fame class

There's a few guys on this years ballot with similar career totals and stories to Backie, so we'll see how guys like Alfredson, Richards and Elias fare here.. Being first ballot often is simply a factor of who else is on the ballot with you at the time.

I’d reject many on that list today....

 

[kicksavedave]

I’d reject many on that list today....

Agreed, the whole list is pretty much the Hall of Very Good". None of those names stand out as "must be in the HOF"

 

[marcel snapshot]

Toews and Kopitar each have a lower point per game rate than Backstrom
Backstrom 827 pts in 839 games
Kopitar 841 pts in 944 games
Toews 694 pts in 815 games
Playoff point per game rates among the 3 are roughly comparable.

 

[Sam Spade]

Toews and Kopitar each have a lower point per game rate than Backstrom
Backstrom 827 pts in 839 games
Kopitar 841 pts in 944 games
Toews 694 pts in 815 games
Playoff point per game rates among the 3 are roughly comparable.

Selke's, five Cups, and a Conn Smythe are the difference right now though.

 

[txpd]

Top 10 candidates for the 2019 Hockey Hall of Fame class

There's a few guys on this years ballot with similar career totals and stories to Backie, so we'll see how guys like Alfredson, Richards and Elias fare here.. Being first ballot often is simply a factor of who else is on the ballot with you at the time.

Backstrom has over 800pts and just turned 31. He is already superior to Richards and Elias. At minimum he is at the Alfredsson level.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Selke's, five Cups, and a Conn Smythe are the difference right now though.

Yep, and also things like captaining Cup winners matter to the people who vote.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Backstrom has over 800pts and just turned 31. He is already superior to Richards and Elias. At minimum he is at the Alfredsson level.

Well he’s still got to actually outproduce them, but points-wise, he should get to the level that gets him in serious discussion. No individual award recognition/consideration will hurt him.

 

[marcel snapshot]

As you guys know, Nick has worn an "A" for a Cup winner. Recognize that the "C", a Selke, and Toews winning 3 and Kopi winning 2 Cups helps them overcome the stat gap with Backstrom. But I don't think that should push Nick aside. Also, hard to see how guys like Alfredsson and Sundin would get in without Cups and with stats that are little below Backstrom's production, but Nick wouldn't get in with a Cup and slightly better stats

 

[txpd]

Well he’s still got to actually outproduce them, but points-wise, he should get to the level that gets him in serious discussion. No individual award recognition/consideration will hurt him.

Backstrom could win 3 straight Selke's if he suddenly got the proper recognition for the quality of his shutdown play. They could win another cup or two. He could easily win a Smythe in that case.

Time will tell

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Backstrom could win 3 straight Selke's if he suddenly got the proper recognition for the quality of his shutdown play. They could win another cup or two. He could easily win a Smythe in that case.

Time will tell

Coulda shoulda woulda right?

HOF voters care more about what players accomplish IMO. If he wins a few Selke’s on top of what should be a 1200+ pt career and a Cup, should be enough.

 

[um]

Cup wins matter but so does overall franchise success. Capitals have been a top team for over a decade now and that will help Backstroms cause.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Several people argued with me because I wanted us to play a defensively responsible game. Sorry but that is a fact. I'm not saying you were one of them.

again.....proof, please. They dont delete threads, so it should be very easy to find.

 

[maacoshark]

Nope, just not true. People argued with you, myself for a fact, that the lack of defense at the time was not a long term concern and not caused by a system change. No one was "against" playing a defensively responsible game, no one! No one was then and no one is now. Stop making your self into some victim/hero here.

Nope not true. Some members here were concerned about offense only. People here argued with me about it. And that is a fact. Now let it go.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

As you guys know, Nick has worn an "A" for a Cup winner. Recognize that the "C", a Selke, and Toews winning 3 and Kopi winning 2 Cups helps them overcome the stat gap with Backstrom. But I don't think that should push Nick aside. Also, hard to see how guys like Alfredsson and Sundin would get in without Cups and with stats that are little below Backstrom's production, but Nick wouldn't get in with a Cup and slightly better stats

1349 pts for Sundin is not insignificant. <EDIT DERP>

Alfie is a tougher sell, but 1157 pts eventually gets him the sympathy nod as the best Senator. Might take a while though....

 

[marcel snapshot]

Sundin went in as a first ballot guy in 2012

 

[shtorm2005]

HHOF purpose is overrated. I won't ever visit it. Ovy and Backstrom are most important players of Caps history for me.

 

[JohnCarlsaurus]

Hockey fandom requires an awful lot of patience with D with offensive upside.

This is also true of most power forwards/net pests.

Tom Wilson, Mike Knuble, Yohan Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom.. Claude Lemieux's first few seasons were nothing special either, granted he only played a handful of games and probably had little ice time.

 

[txpd]

Coulda shoulda woulda right?

HOF voters care more about what players accomplish IMO. If he wins a few Selke’s on top of what should be a 1200+ pt career and a Cup, should be enough.

Was Scottie Pippen a first ballot Hall of Famer? I need to look that up. We all know that Backstrom is criminally underrated. He doesn't want the spot light and resists the team PR campaigns necessary to win votes. He passes on all star games. Trotz didn't accept that to an extent and talked his Selke level play up. Ive heard media talk about Backstrom like that for the first time this season. Maybe this is the season. The Kings suck. The Blackhawks suck. Bergeron is injured. The Caps don't suck and Backstrom is top 10 in scoring.

Backstrom just turned 31. I expect we have not seen all of the best things he can bring. I think the Caps getting hot with Kuzy missing and Backstrom carrying the load is just another sign of how important he really is.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Sundin went in as a first ballot guy in 2012

Hah funny, well there you go. I was partially right or maybe totally. Lol...

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

HHOF purpose is overrated. I won't ever visit it. Ovy and Backstrom are most important players of Caps history for me.

It’s worth a visit if you’re in town, not worth a special trip though IMO.

 

[txpd]

Cup wins matter but so does overall franchise success. Capitals have been a top team for over a decade now and that will help Backstroms cause.

If the Caps could win one more cup, they would have a reasonable case for being the best team of their era. The Cup they won changed their legacy significantly. Another cup would lift them near Chicago and Pittsburgh while having more regular season success. Another cup would make the 3 Presi's more relevant.

Over the next few years, I think Chicago's legacy will be dimmed because they are so cap strangled. Crosby and Malkin may well fade before Ovechkin and Backstrom because of injuries. Its a long road yet and I think the Caps are well positioned to continue to challenge