The Western Conference - Not Very Good

[DannyGallivan]

More like the dome of mediocrity. Nashville and Winnipeg are the only good teams in the division and they were more second tier contenders compared to Washington/Pitt/Tampa. Teams like Minnesota, St Louis, Colorado, Dallas are not a threat for anything.

Interesting. Few people picked Washington to make it out of the first round, Tampa Bay finished behind both Winnipeg and Nashville in the regular season, and Pittsburgh showed just how iffy there team defense can be.

I think change comes slowly to some fans. They just get "used" to seeing teams like Winnipeg and Nashville in the NHL's "developing world", and fail to notice when they've arrived and have become true first tier contenders. Other than the three Eastern teams you've mentioned and perhaps the Bruins, there's nothing in the East that's particularly scary.

If anything, Washington was a second tier contender that outlasted the competition when it counted the most. Full marks to them. That means that it's still relatively wide-open next year. Given the current rosters (which will likely be adjusted before the playoffs), I'd take either the Jets or the Preds over anybody in the East in 2019. The proof will be next year.

 

[Jack722]

These threads are great. People wait until they see what happens, THEN they give their predictions. lol

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Interesting. Few people picked Washington to make it out of the first round, Tampa Bay finished behind both Winnipeg and Nashville in the regular season, and Pittsburgh showed just how iffy there team defense can be.

I think change comes slowly to some fans. They just get "used" to seeing teams like Winnipeg and Nashville in the NHL's "developing world", and fail to notice when they've arrived and have become true first tier contenders. Other than the three Eastern teams you've mentioned and perhaps the Bruins, there's nothing in the East that's particularly scary.

If anything, Washington was a second tier contender that outlasted the competition when it counted the most. Full marks to them. That means that it's still relatively wide-open next year. Given the current rosters (which will likely be adjusted before the playoffs), I'd take either the Jets or the Preds over anybody in the East in 2019. The proof will be next year.

You're putting too much stock in regular season points. No one would've considered SJ/St Louis/Anaheim the top contenders when Chicago/LA were winning cups, despite often having more points. Personally i think Pittsburgh and Washington have been the two best teams in the league since 2016, as they've won the cups since then and have only lost to each other. It's very telling when Vegas slices through the west like a hot knife through butter only to get throttled by the eastern representative.

 

[Ducks Dynasty]

If the SC Finals were any indication, it was probably true lol

Seems like Vegas was easily the weakest team that the Caps had to face in the playoffs. And to make it worse, Vegas had one of the easiest paths to the Finals in recent memory....

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Ever since the Hawks and Kings... full of a bunch of prima Donna first timers who become flavor of the month, then the Final comes and you couldn’t melt them down into a pressure situation.

Full credit to the Caps. What they’ve done so far these playoffs is unreal, and they’re a deserving cup champion (yes, I’m assuming they’ve won. There’s literally been nothing in these games that shows me Vegas stands a chance). Between having the stars (Ovi, Kuzy, Backstrom), an incredibly solid D and goalie, and the Trotz System, no one was beating them this year.

However, I honestly believe you could plug half of the Eastern conference into this final and they’d win too. Tampa, The B’s, Penguins, heck even Toronto and I wonder if my Fly Guys could give them a scare.

When will the West win again? Who in that conference even can without the Hawks/Kings on top?

I dont think any of tampa, bruins, toronto are even close in terms of playoff performance as the Pens.

 

[DannyGallivan]

You're putting too much stock in regular season points. No one would've considered SJ/St Louis/Anaheim the top contenders when Chicago/LA were winning cups, despite often having more points. Personally i think Pittsburgh and Washington have been the two best teams in the league since 2016, as they've won the cups since then and have only lost to each other. It's very telling when Vegas slices through the west like a hot knife through butter only to get throttled by the eastern representative.

The thing people forget about the playoffs is that some teams play well against some teams and not so well against others. Would Washington have beaten every Western team in a best of seven? I say no.

 

[HolyJumpin]

If the SC Finals were any indication, it was probably true lol

Seems like Vegas was easily the weakest team that the Caps had to face in the playoffs. And to make it worse, Vegas had one of the easiest paths to the Finals in recent memory....

My personal thought about this is that the Central is a very, very good conference and the Pacific is an incredibly bad conference.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

My personal thought about this is that the Central is a very, very good conference and the Pacific is an incredibly bad conference.

Incredibly bad, yet had 4 playoff teams? And repped the conference in the finals? If the Central was so much better they should have gotten both wc spots and not get destroyed in the conference finals.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Incredibly bad, yet had 4 playoff teams? And repped the conference in the finals? If the Central was so much better they should have gotten both wc spots and not get destroyed in the conference finals.

Central destroyed the pacific in H2H record. Vegas being the best team doesnt change that fact. Lets say we put every playoff team except Vegas in one division. Vegas could still win, but it wouldn’t mean they played in the better division.

 

[MrHeiskanen]

West has been the better Conference for as long as I can remember.

 

[a mangy Meowth]

Your flyers sucked and got knocked out when they should have

But yeah, East has had the upper hand the last few years in the finals. Seems to go back and forth, at least to anyone actually watching and not pushing an agenda

 

[ColbyChaos]

More like the dome of mediocrity. Nashville and Winnipeg are the only good teams in the division and they were more second tier contenders compared to Washington/Pitt/Tampa. Teams like Minnesota, St Louis, Colorado, Dallas are not a threat for anything.

Neither are the the rest of the metro outside of two teams. Winnipeg and the Preds were 2nd tier contender while they had a better lineup than Wsh and a pit team that had an Ahl quality defense.

 

[PenguinSpeed]

Neither are the the rest of the metro outside of two teams. Winnipeg and the Preds were 2nd tier contender while they had a better lineup than Wsh and a pit team that had an Ahl quality defense.

-Washington won the Cup, Hawks and Kings fans are now silent about Washington. Pretty funny.

 

[kingsholygrail]

-Washington won the Cup, Hawks and Kings fans are now silent about Washington. Pretty funny.

Why would I care about Washington?

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Why would I care about Washington?

Right? Most Kings fans were 100% behind the Capitals as soon as the Kings were knocked out.

Kings and Hawks were the class of the league for a half decade and had a legendary WCF in 2014. They’re both on a downturn now, and other younger, hungrier western teams are beginning to take up the mantle.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I find Vegas used up all their juice going up against the Jets as they were not an easy team to beat. The Jets I believe if they made the final would've won the cup. Otherwise, Vegas made it fair and square.

 

[Mattb124]

People talk about stronger and weaker teams, hockey fans talk about match-up's. Add to that goalie streaks, injuries, fatigue, etc. IMO it's stupid to try to make comparisons about conferences based on what team won the cup. Washington man handled Vegas but very well could have lost to Winnipeg. Not because one team is better than the other per se (or one conference is better than another), but because one team matches up better against the other.

 

[bobbydigital]

-Washington won the Cup, Hawks and Kings fans are now silent about Washington. Pretty funny.

What are you on about? I was ecstatic when the Capitals won the Cup. This my conference is better than your conference argument is ridiculous.

 

[KingBran]

the preds destroyed the blues in 2016 in the only series between the two. and went on to make to the finals. the next year the preds win the presidents trophy and the blues don't even make the playoffs and actually sold at the deadline. what the hell are you talking about, seriously?

omg get over yourself. YOU and your chronies are the ones making it all about that. You have an agenda and you won't let it go. Your team has still won just as many championships as my team. ZERO. Good lord, quit acting like beating the Blues in the playoffs once means anything. Join the club.


Not everything I say is about about the Preds. Again, What I said wasn't specifically about the Preds or anything like that. Quit getting whiny so easily assuming everything I say is about the Preds. It's not. There are way more interesting teams to talk about.

 

[KingBran]

Preds a one-hit wonder, but Blues are a really great team

The sheer number of times they have made the playoffs, the consistency in always being in the mix yeah, they are absolutely NOT one-hit wonders like the Preds. Preds have proven nothing but one great playoffs (where they were an 8 seed) and still won absolutely nothing.

Again, the post wasn't about Preds vs Blues. It's sad how whiny you all get. Good lord you Preds fans get triggered so easily.

So much bandwagon.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Closed. You bumped a week-and-a-half-old thread for that?