Vegas - unbeatable?

[ShonSaunders]

It’s funny how everyone is talking about how the Pacific sucks now that Vegas has become a real threat. A lot of folks had San Jose or Anaheim taking the West. I’ve said it before, Vegas is no joke, and if you think your team is going to have an easy time with them, you’re going to be sorely disappointed.

 

[HanSolo]

I sure hope they can. '

Or - do you think Bettman will let the Wild fold and start an expansion team the same way Vegas did? They might finally get somewhere, after more than 40 seasons in Minnesota with no Cups.

People keep acting like all Vegas needed was more favorable rules and boom, they're a juggernaut. A lot had to go right for Vegas. There's a reason that Tatar looks terrible on Vegas after joining late and it's not lack of skill.

 

[HanSolo]

And not a single top pairing defenseman, or established top six player(except for Florida's stupidity).

Well that's not entirely true. Neal and Perron were well established top 6 guys but the majority of people felt that them, Marchessault, Smith, and Shipachyov would be one of the weakest top 6s in the league.

 

[HanSolo]

0% chance they beat WPG or NSH

You also said they had zero chance of winning a single game against LA. I don't know how your confidence is still going strong.

SJ will handle vegas quite easily, repeat of the ducks' series

Even though Doty is out, knights don’t win another game cause playoff quick is on

Actually keep predicting Vegas' failures please. You might just be their lucky charm.

 

[Cashville]

im going to post this in a predators game thread during game 4-ish of the WCF just to see if you still feel the same about vegas because lets be real, the jets are winning game 7 in NSH.

I'm confused; are you challenging the notion that I would root for VGK if NSH lost? I have zero reason to hate them; they're brand new to the league and we've played them a handful of times. I've also already expressed my neutral appreciation for their shocking progress as a team. I'd love to VGK to win if los perds are donezo; also fine with the Bolts or Caps winning it. WPG is a divisional rival, so if we lose, yes I'd rather someone else win besides the Jets.

 

[Thenameless]

I'm scared. Never fun playing against a team of destiny like that.

Don't look too far ahead. Washington will be playing hard for Ovechkin I gather.

 

[Hoek]

Don't look too far ahead. Washington will be playing hard for Ovechkin I gather.

Relax. That was posted before we even knew the Caps would be our opponent. It's also looking ahead to assume that Vegas will win the West. The point is more if we were to meet, it would be scary for that intangible aspect.

 

[traparatus]

How is it baseless, if no other organization would want to swap their entire player/pick pool with Vegas that would mean they should've been worse than the majority of teams. Even if we narrow it down to roster only, i'd argue there would be less than 5 teams willing to do that swap. Logically, a team full of 3rd/4th liners and castoffs that have never played together and had to learn a new system would mean they should've struggled.

Also, the teams that have had great depth have never made it far in the playoffs. Over the years San Jose, Minnesota, St. Louis, Columbus, etc. have all had great depth... arguably better than this Vegas team at times. They've never come close to winning the cup.

I agree and feel that this whole 'Vegas has four second lines' thing is simply untrue. They have two lines driving the bus and Alex Tuch. The rest of the players are 3rd and 4th liners playing on 3rd and 4th lines. Nobody will be confusing Engelland/Sbisa with top pair defensemen, either.

I think they win a lot of games because their lower skilled players are able to stay 'on message', so to speak. The message is to stop opposition attack before it gets past Vegas' blue line. You don't have to be a superstar to apply back pressure and maintain tight gap control through the neutral zone. It's just tiring and somewhat tedious work and most players simply don't want to do it. By the end of the final game vs San Jose, Sharks looked like they were losing the will to live.

 

[StarvinArvyn33]

It’s funny how everyone is talking about how the Pacific sucks now that Vegas has become a real threat. A lot of folks had San Jose or Anaheim taking the West. I’ve said it before, Vegas is no joke, and if you think your team is going to have an easy time with them, you’re going to be sorely disappointed.

sharks are always a dark horse no doubt, but there was likely very little people saying ANA even SJS would win the west....

 

[Alwalys]

By the end of the final game vs San Jose, Sharks looked like they were losing the will to live.

that was mostly because of the absurdly bad luck they had the entire game.

 

[Anisimovs AK]

The result of a fantasy draft of sorts, not an even playing field.

You would pick Luca Sbisa and Derek Engelland in a fantasy draft?

You should joing my Yahoo league then. We need more...competition

 

[The Red Helmet]

Only two more series wins away from the legacy of winning the Stanley Cup being tarnished

 

[jbobell98]

You can't aquire 30 nhl players via draft takes years just to ice 18 solid players the rest waiver wire interchangeable plugs , Vegas was gifted to stupidity by owners and soon every other franchise other than vegas is about to lose another NHL player to Seattle .

lmao Vegas is one of the worst teams in the league on paper. NO ONE predicted they would win the cup. Everyone thought they would finish near dead last. Replay the expansion draft 100 times and this outcome only happens half a dozen times. People are just salty. Their best player William Karlsson had a career HIGH 9 goals and finished the season with 43 for crying out loud.

 

[jbobell98]

People complain about Vegas doing good but look what happened in the Premier League with Leicester city. Just two years before the won the league they were in the second division. Thats comparable to an AHL team suddenly moving up to the NHL and in two years finishing first in the league and winning the Stanley Cup. Vegas is a team full of NHL'ers. So if you think about it if Vegas winning the cup is embarrassing for the NHL Leicester winning the Premier league was far more embarrassing.

But in reality it isn't, streaks happen, career years happen, hot goaltending happens. This isn't basketball, hockey and soccer are TRUE team sports.

 

[jbobell98]

It’s funny how everyone is talking about how the Pacific sucks now that Vegas has become a real threat. A lot of folks had San Jose or Anaheim taking the West. I’ve said it before, Vegas is no joke, and if you think your team is going to have an easy time with them, you’re going to be sorely disappointed.

LOL who had San Jose and Anaheim taking the West??? Did they really think Anaheim and San Jose were better teams than the Jets and the Preds. Come one now.

 

[jbobell98]

Only two more series wins away from the legacy of winning the Stanley Cup being tarnished

Is the legacy of winning the Premier League also tarnished because Leicester City won?

 

[fsanford]

People complain about Vegas doing good but look what happened in the Premier League with Leicester city. Just two years before the won the league they were in the second division. Thats comparable to an AHL team suddenly moving up to the NHL and in two years finishing first in the league and winning the Stanley Cup. Vegas is a team full of NHL'ers. So if you think about it if Vegas winning the cup is embarrassing for the NHL Leicester winning the Premier league was far more embarrassing.

But in reality it isn't, streaks happen, career years happen, hot goaltending happens. This isn't basketball, hockey and soccer are TRUE team sports.

Actually a hot goalie can win series and cup, heck J Quick won the cup for the Kings in 2012. 16-4 with a 1.41 GAA.
MAF has a .951 save percentage with 4 shut outs thus far, just sic numbers.

 

[fsanford]

Is the legacy of winning the Premier League also tarnished because Leicester City won?

Well they have been in existence over 100 years as a club, so there is that, and I believe the Premier League has only been around since 1992 only 6 teams have one the title. They did have several top 10 finishes during that time, they finished runner up in 1999. So I would say they have a bit more street cred. They are probably more akin to the Sabres than they are the Knights.

 

[cbcwpg]

I would hold off saying Vegas is anything until they play against a real team in game #1 against Nash / Winnipeg.

 

[The Red Helmet]

Is the legacy of winning the Premier League also tarnished because Leicester City won?

Leicester City which has been established for 134 years? That is a real Cinderella story. A team in it's first year of existence being in the final four and having a legit chance to win it all just says the league went way too far in trying to make this team good out of the gate.

If a 1st year expansion team won the league title in the Premier League, people who don't watch soccer, would think that league is severely flawed. Any league that has an expansion team seriously vying for the league title in its first year of existence is severely flawed. It should not happen in a league that has been established for a century. I understand they didn't want a situation where Vegas was bad for years but the expansion rules were weighted too heavily in the Knight's favor.

What if Vegas does win the Cup this year? Would they not be serious contenders for the Cup next year? Is it still not embarrassing if Vegas goes back to back out the gate years one and two? The ridiculous expansion rules allowed them to manipulate 3 top 15 picks last draft. The should be stacked for the next few years at least. Not to mention they being an expansion team, they have the benefit of not having been around long enough to have signed any bad contracts. What if they get Tavares? They are likely the favorites next year if not already. The Knights have a legit shot at a dynasty right out of the gate because the NHL went overboard with the expansion rules.

I have nothing against Las Vegas, the Knights or their fans. Each and everyone on that team deserves their name on the Cup if they do win it all and good for them. The NHL on the other hand is a joke. They have always been seen as the little brother of the 4 major North American professional sports. They do things that really don't make sense and turn fans away. As good as the success of the Knights has been for the team, it makes the league look ridiculous and it makes it look like you can buy a Cup. I hope they learn their lesson and don't pave the red carpet for Seattle to make the playoffs in year one. Total embarrassment for the league.

 

[ChanceVegas]

Leicester City which has been established for 134 years? That is a real Cinderella story. A team in it's first year of existence having being in the final four and having a legit chance to win it all just says the league went way too far in trying to make this team good out of the gate.

If a 1st year expansion team won the league title in the Premier League, people who don't watch soccer, would think that league is severely flawed. Any league that has an expansion team seriously vying for the league title in its first year of existence is severely flawed. It should not happen in a league that has been established for a century. I understand they didn't want a situation where Vegas was bad for years but the expansion rules were weighted too heavily in the Knight's favor.

What if Vegas does win the Cup this year? Would they not be serious contenders for the Cup next year? Is it still not embarrassing if Vegas goes back to back out the gate years one and two? The ridiculous expansion rules allowed them to manipulate 3 top 15 picks last draft. The should be stacked for the next few years at least. Not to mention they being an expansion team, they have the benefit of not having been around long enough to have not signed any bad contracts. What if they get Tavares? They are likely the favorites next year if not already? The Knights have a legit shot at a dynasty right out of the gate because the NHL went overboard with the expansion rules.

I have nothing against Las Vegas, the Knights or their fans. Each and everyone on that team deserves their name on the Cup if they do win it all and good for them. The NHL on the other hand is a joke. They have always been seen as the little brother of the 4 major North American professional sports. They do things that really don't make sense and turn fans away. As good as the success of the Knights has been for the team, it makes the league look ridiculous and it makes it look like you can buy a Cup. I hope they learn their lesson and don't pave the red carpet for Seattle to make the playoffs in year one. Total embarrassment for the league.

Despite the draft rules, the NHL did not force teams to give up as much as they did because of draft panic. The NHL didn't force Gallant and McPhee out of their former jobs. Seattle will get the same rules and I doubt they will have nearly the same success. To boil this down to the draft rules is not painting the whole picture. Not nearly. And it is revisionist history given the expectations from literally everyone after they saw who Vegas drafted.

VGK's success is not a reflection on the draft rules. It is a reflection on the management, coaches, and mot importantly the players. All of these guys are having career years because their former teams did not invest enough in them and Gallant's system gave them a chance to thrive. None of that has any bearing on the NHL's draft rules.

 

[jbobell98]

Well they have been in existence over 100 years as a club, so there is that, and I believe the Premier League has only been around since 1992 only 6 teams have one the title. They did have several top 10 finishes during that time, they finished runner up in 1999. So I would say they have a bit more street cred. They are probably more akin to the Sabres than they are the Knights.

Leicester City which has been established for 134 years? That is a real Cinderella story. A team in it's first year of existence being in the final four and having a legit chance to win it all just says the league went way too far in trying to make this team good out of the gate.

If a 1st year expansion team won the league title in the Premier League, people who don't watch soccer, would think that league is severely flawed. Any league that has an expansion team seriously vying for the league title in its first year of existence is severely flawed. It should not happen in a league that has been established for a century. I understand they didn't want a situation where Vegas was bad for years but the expansion rules were weighted too heavily in the Knight's favor.

What if Vegas does win the Cup this year? Would they not be serious contenders for the Cup next year? Is it still not embarrassing if Vegas goes back to back out the gate years one and two? The ridiculous expansion rules allowed them to manipulate 3 top 15 picks last draft. The should be stacked for the next few years at least. Not to mention they being an expansion team, they have the benefit of not having been around long enough to have signed any bad contracts. What if they get Tavares? They are likely the favorites next year if not already. The Knights have a legit shot at a dynasty right out of the gate because the NHL went overboard with the expansion rules.

I have nothing against Las Vegas, the Knights or their fans. Each and everyone on that team deserves their name on the Cup if they do win it all and good for them. The NHL on the other hand is a joke. They have always been seen as the little brother of the 4 major North American professional sports. They do things that really don't make sense and turn fans away. As good as the success of the Knights has been for the team, it makes the league look ridiculous and it makes it look like you can buy a Cup. I hope they learn their lesson and don't pave the red carpet for Seattle to make the playoffs in year one. Total embarrassment for the league.

Ok so Leicester winning the Premier league would be akin to the Hersey Bears moving up to the NHL with the same roster they have then winning the Stanley cup.

If you honestly thought at the beginning of the year that Vegas would be in the position they are now you can complain all you want. Fact is, virtually everybody saw them finishing close to dead last. On paper they're the worst team in the league. You'd be foolish to have thought anything else coming into the season.

Who couldve predicted that W. Karlsson would eclipse his career high in goals by over 30. Nearly every single player on the team is having a career year. Do the exact same expansion draft 100 times over and Vegas doesn't even sniff the playoffs in 95% of them. With the roster Vegas has they shouldn't be this good, but they are. I'd bet everything I own that Seattles first season doesnt even come close to what Vegas is doing right now.

 

[The Red Helmet]

Ok so Leicester winning the Premier league would be akin to the Hersey Bears moving up to the NHL with the same roster they have then winning the Stanley cup.

If you honestly thought at the beginning of the year that Vegas would be in the position they are now you can complain all you want. Fact is, virtually everybody saw them finishing close to dead last. On paper they're the worst team in the league. You'd be foolish to have thought anything else coming into the season.

Who couldve predicted that W. Karlsson would eclipse his career high in goals by over 30. Nearly every single player on the team is having a career year. Do the exact same expansion draft 100 times over and Vegas doesn't even sniff the playoffs in 95% of them. With the roster Vegas has they shouldn't be this good, but they are. I'd bet everything I own that Seattles first season doesnt even come close to what Vegas is doing right now.

So them being able to manipulate the expansion draft to acquire 2 top 15 picks doesn't show how ridiculous the process was?

 

[ChanceVegas]

So them being able to manipulate the expansion draft to acquire 2 top 15 picks doesn't show how ridiculous the process was?

No, it shows how ridiculous GM's were being about keeping a couple of players. A couple of GM's overpaid to keep decent players. That's not the NHL's fault. Did McPhee work those situations to his advantage? Absolutely, but again that's not the NHL's fault.

 

[maskingagent]

so if they do or don't win the cup, is the recipe for expansion teams change after Vegas ? Does Bettmann do things differently ? Do GM's do things differently ? I ask because many like myself are wondering how the building blocks came together so quickly for this team ?