GDT: The 2017 Stanley Cup Finals Bandwagon Thread

[LightningStrikes]

vs. ​

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[Hoek]

SoutheastBros AINEC

 

[JoVel]

Preds it is.

 

[The Macho King]

I don't mind the Pens and won't be sad if they win, but yeah - it's the Preds.

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

Successful non-traditional hockey market bros FTW!

 

[These Are The Days]

omg at the "who has faced greater adversity" thread. I'm ready to pull out my hair

Penguin fans cannot be serious thinking they've had to deal with more than Nashville losing their best forward, Fiala, being a 16 seed and now having to win the Cup against the 2nd best team in the league AND defending champs.

They CAN NOT be serious?!!?!?!

 

[The Macho King]

omg at the "who has faced greater adversity" thread. I'm ready to pull out my hair

Penguin fans cannot be serious thinking they've had to deal with more than Nashville losing their best forward, Fiala, being a 16 seed and now having to win the Cup against the 2nd best team in the league AND defending champs.

They CAN NOT be serious?!!?!?!

I mean the definition is up to how you define adversity. They're missing their #1D, missed their #1C for a couple of games, and also missed other guys for a lot of time like Schultz, Hagelin, Sheary, Daley, Hornqvist, and others, while having to play the President's Trophy and Columbus was like 2 or 3 in the league as well, right?

 

[VoluntaryDom]

^ CBJ was 4 in league after WSH PIT and CHI

all the way

If we can't win it no SE team can (also I've been bandwagoning pens since round 2)

 

[Steazy Doo]

I hope Nashville wins since they are my second team (Ps Toronto is my actual second team but they're out)

 

[These Are The Days]

I mean the definition is up to how you define adversity. They're missing their #1D, missed their #1C for a couple of games, and also missed other guys for a lot of time like Schultz, Hagelin, Sheary, Daley, Hornqvist, and others, while having to play the President's Trophy and Columbus was like 2 or 3 in the league as well, right?

You're right it is about how you define adversity.

The Pens have lost a lot of guys here and there. But a playoff series goes 7 games and more often than not it's depth (or rather it's contribution) that wins it out. Lose Rust for 2 games and it's not really a big deal because Kessel and Malkin are healthy. Lost Crosby? No big deal, Hagelin and Sheary will figure it out. Hornqvist on the shelf? Don't sweat it! Guentzel is playing with Crosby -who just came back. Letang out of the season? We've got Daly, Schultz, Cole and Dumoulin!

The Penguins depth is ****ing INSANE.

Now look at their road to the SCF

Everyone says Ottawa had no business in the ECF. Everyone laughs and mocks about the Caps being the annual 2nd round exit. Columbus' season was proven to be backboned by their 16 game winning streak when they subsequently went 13-19-4 the rest of the way. They're a slightly above average team that got ridiculously hot.

Meanwhile the Preds had to beat the best record in the West (and 3 time champs) in round 1, had to beat a St. Louis reinvigorated by Mike Yeo and then arguably the deepest team in the West in Anaheim and now they gotta face the 2nd best team in the NHL without its best offensive player and Fiala.

Ironic.... yet I can't even get Lightning fans to give Coop credit for his part in getting the ECF without Stamkos and Stralman because we faced the NYI and DET on the way. Now the Pens fans want sympathy for Letang?

I just can't do it Macho.... The Pens have had nothing given to them but no one has had to take more than Nashville. And if they win this Cup then I struggle to find a team who has had a harder path to tread. It's gonna be a story I tell my grandchildren 40 years from now when they ask me about the team that had the hardest ever path to a championship.

 

[The Macho King]

I mean - whatever that's fine and a perfectly valid point. It's just a stupid thing to get bent out of shape about.

Also - lol about discrediting Pitt for getting past Washington but pumping up the Preds for beating St. Louis and Anaheim. St. Louis is the only team with a longer, more storied history of playoff disappointment than Washington and Anaheim has been seen as choking a lot of opportunities since '07.

 

[Rschmitz]

Go Nashville!

 

[These Are The Days]

I mean - whatever that's fine and a perfectly valid point. It's just a stupid thing to get bent out of shape about.

Also - lol about discrediting Pitt for getting past Washington but pumping up the Preds for beating St. Louis and Anaheim. St. Louis is the only team with a longer, more storied history of playoff disappointment than Washington and Anaheim has been seen as choking a lot of opportunities since '07.

Be that as it may does that really make the rosters Nashville had to beat in St. Louis, Chicago and Anaheim any less challenging than Ottawa, Columbus and Washington?

Touche about the history of the Blues but I'm talking about the here and now. We both know if Caps actually made the 3rd round the time/space continuum might rip and that the Blues could've beaten Nashville and no one would've batted an eye.

I think I remember you saying you love giving Caps fans crap that their team never won anything or will.

As for the Ducks.... I can't fault Carlyle for losing to that stacked Dallas team in 2007 or the inevitable Western Conference Champion Red Wings the year following. I'll give you losing out to Nashville in round 1 but since then the Ducks had been spearheaded by the guy who couldn't win a game 7 if his life counted on it until Carlyle came back. No surprise about what happened in Minnesota either.

I know we disagree about the context but Pittsburgh losing Letang for the playoffs and being out multiple players at multiple times feels like having sympathy for a multi-billionaire losing a million bucks on the stock market a handful of times while he inevitably recovers his losses and makes a profit or Hogan beating you at Mania V after being you were so abusive towards him, Elizabeth and the rest of the WWF.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Umm...

Pittsburgh just beat two of the top 4 NHL teams on the standings and a very tough Ottawa squad without a top-8 NHL defenseman in Letang and with many key forwards going down. Oh yeah, the rest of the blueline was decimated as well! And their starting goalie was out!

 

[Sky04]

The offside review is one of the worst things to happen in all of sports, just completly abused.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Lol

It was offside tho

 

[Sky04]

Lol

It was offside tho

Cool, doesn't mean it had anything to do with the goal.

 

[RegularSznAllStars]

The offside review is one of the worst things to happen in all of sports, just completly abused.

We would have beaten them a year ago if the drouin goal in game 6 had not been reviewed. Still bitter about it

 

[Hoek]

The system is rigged folks. Believe me.

 

[Sky04]

Jesus they call that against the Preds (sure I won't disagree) but then let than flying elbow by Crosby go while the Preds are already shorthanded? wow it's hard to route for the Pens.

 

[Sky04]

We would have beaten them a year ago if the drouin goal in game 6 had not been reviewed. Still bitter about it

I firmly believe that as well.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

We would have beaten them a year ago if the drouin goal in game 6 had not been reviewed. Still bitter about it

Probably true tbh

Stop depressing me

 

[RegularSznAllStars]

It is amazing what the pens do with a mostly mediocre defense. They are so well coached. Fantastic system.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

It is amazing what the pens do with a mostly mediocre defense. They are so well coached. Fantastic system.

I would argue that at full health their defense is actually among the league's best, but without Letang I would agree.

 

[Steazy Doo]

What took place in that first period was nothing short of atrocious. What a way to start the Finals.

They blew that offside call if you take the rule book wording as gospel. The two calls for the five on three were not penalties, as Hornqvist fell by himself and Daley dove. Then Crosby should have been called on the 5-3, cause you know, he actually committed an offense. Two seconds later they score. Gross to watch.