Three straight years not getting by the second round. Great regular season, but undoubtedly were a playoff disappointment this year. Forget about not winning the Stanley Cup the last few years, how about winning two rounds? They haven’t even gotten close. Shouldn’t we expect more of the best team in the league during the regular season and the fastest rising team in the league?
Or should we wait another season or two before the pressure starts to elevate?
Comparing all MacK “era” appearances is like comparing Ovi’s Mike Green/Jeff Schultz sub-“era” to his Oates to his Hunter to his Trotz eras
I would consider this years team an improvement on last years, and these two years pretty solidly over three years ago
in any case, most of their d group, including almost all of the important ones are young as shit by NHL standards. Most teams lose every year, including these Knights who’ve had their own heartbreaks and shortcomings in the past
they’re being built and were tanked more by bad luck than anything last post season. There’s no way I’m doubting this team as good as they were over 56 games (+ last season and last postseason)
they’re not going to be the best team every year but they were legitimately a top team this year and likely will be top 10 at the absolute worst, which means a team is pretty damn good when you can gurantee that (considering teams drop in and out of the top ten fairly regularly)
I’d feel safe assuming top 5 next season if they manage to keep/acquire their goalie, and they’ll be more experienced and hopefully ready to “prove the doubters wrong” as we’ve seen the Caps and current Bolts do in the last few years
hopefully they move Kadri